Entwined Paths
by LizzyTheCat2000
Summary: Hermione Granger is called as the Slayer, so why is a young muggle called Buffy Summers who was supposedly the last Slayer, still alive? What will happen when three worlds collide. Muggle, Wizarding and the supernatural. Two teenage girls and their friends will have to rally together to save the world and keep the peace. Starts with GoF and just before S1,
1. A New Slayer

**Hey! this is my new crossover Its going to be from the start of the goblet of fire, and the start of Buffy season one so them being mixed together will change what would have happened in canon. The story will have a variety of threats in it from both worlds, and will be moving at a moderate pace. :) These characters belong to Rhoss Whedon and J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Aberforth paced back and forth one of the smaller rooms in his crumbling house in Hogsmeade, so close to Hogwarts yet few knew he was there, His long grubby, and scorched beige robes swishing on the wooden boards as he turned at each end of the room, continually pacing.

The reason behind his pacing was that he didn't know what to do about what had happened with the slayer, and when he said the slayer, he meant the chosen one, the girl destined to fight the forces of evil including vampires and demons.

He wasn't on the Watchers Council... or even sent by the council as a Watcher, no, no, they didn't even know about him, in fact they didn't even know of the wizarding society, they'd come across witches and wizards of course, but they never looked into it to deeply as they were gone before they could say 'hocus-pocus' or whatever silly thing the muggles thought Witches or Wizards would say or do.

He liked to keep an eye on things trying to help out if things got bad, but even then he couldn't be called or referred to as a 'watcher', as his reasoning behind checking up on the current slayer was a lot more selfish and mainly because of the prophesied Slayer who was soon to come was not _just_ the chosen one but also a Witch.

This meant things were likely to get a lot more hectic in the wizarding world, which would therefore affect the world in ways the muggles didn't even know about yet.

Trying to think about all that had just occurred, he decided to go through all that had happened that evening in the order of events just to make sure he hadn't missed anything, leaving loose ties. Loose ties which could bring the two worlds together, making everything much more messy.

Firstly, Aberforth had been keeping watch of the (then) current slayer, petite blonde freshman Buffy Summers, she had been the slayer for nearing a year. He had checked up on her every so often, staying in the background. He didn't want a witch to end up as the Slayer at a time the Wizarding world was vulnerable, he promised himself though that if things got tough for the young chosen one he would help.

But he hadn't, and what he meant by that was that he hadn't made it there in time, in time to save Buffy or her Watcher for that matter.

He'd reached there late, apparating immediately when he realised what he thought was meant to happen the night after next was actually happening that very night. His calculations had been off, and because of it both the muggle world and wizarding one would suffer.

Of course he had warned them, in a letter, warned poor Buffy Summers about the vampire attack that was being planned specilly for her.

Oh, and when he meant vampire attack, he meant that there would be hundreds of them, all attacking at once, all thinking she was the Great Slayer destined to destroy their Master who was soon to raise, and they wanted nothing in the way of that.

She hadn't been safe in bed like he'd naively hoped, that way the vampires would have had to wait for the next night, it wasn't like she would have invited them in. But she hadn't been safely tucked up in bed, asleep at home. She'd been in her school library, planning with her watcher about defence and their attack response.

To be fair to the young Slayer, she had held her own, battling the vampires strategically and quickly, but the Watcher had already been dead by the time Aberforth arrived.

He helped the child, feeling that this was some how indirectly his fault, because if he hadn't got the date wrong she would probably have continued her tenure as the Slayer.

Him and Buffy fought back to back destroying many a fire blazing and flickering around them and sirens wailing in the distance, they fought until just a few remained, it was then that she perished... having thought the battle won, but prematurely so, she had turned with a grin on her face, when an elder vampire jumped her cutting her stomach with one of her own stakes, and throwing her sideways.

Aberforth had let out a deadening bellow, different coloured lights flashing from his wand and vanquishing the couple of vampires left standing.

Once he had bested them he ran to the poor child's side, hoping to comfort her in her last moments on Earth, but he was too late, she was gone.

Her small body jerked once, then twice and then a third, her green eyes flying open and mouth moving whispering the words in a strange different voice definitely not her own "_Hermione Granger, you've been called as the Slayer_"

Aberforth closed her eyes as her breathing slowed to a stop after the supernatural outburst, but he was stopped from giving any proper goodbyes as he soon heard the Fire services bursting through the doors, and the paramedics, probably. Aberforth tried to avoid thinking of the many deaths that were probably caused on the vampires rampage to Buffy.

After that he had apparated back home, wondering how he'd break the news to young Hermione Granger. He hadn't expected it to be her, not someone he had heard of in the Wizarding world. Aberforth thought it would ave been somebody older, but still probably a muggleborn. Yet she was the chosen girl to fight the forces of evil, with new strength and new power.

Of course none of the previous slayers had been a witch they'd all been muggles. So Hermione powers were probably even more heightened than any other. She now ranged in three worlds, the muggle, the supernatural, and the wizarding.

Without pondering much longer Aberforth realised that there was no one else he could contact.

He'd have to talk to Albus. Albus was afterall the girl's magical guardian until she turned seventeen and became an adult in the wizarding world. He would hardly dump it on the girls mugggle parents, they might blame it on the wizarding world for introducing her to everything weird and wacky.

He let out a sigh and flooed to Hogwarts, they would have to tell the young witch soon, it was not the sort of thing that could be hidden, she'd already know something was different to before.

* * *

Hermione sat up in her bed at the burrow shaking her head, and messy birds nest like bed hair along with it. She was shivering from the cold but sweating at the same time, in a sort of fever perhaps, though she was only wearing a tank top and pyjama shorts.

She had had the most awful nightmare...at least she hoped it had been just a nightmare and not actually happened to those poor people, but then again Aberforth... Dumbledore's estranged brother had been in it.

Not many people knew about him but Hermione had done her fair share of research wanting to know more about their Headmaster, and his family. She had found Aberforth, but not much more- despite the position the Headmaster held in the wizarding world there was a surprising lack of knowledge about him.

In her nightmare she'd seen a huge fight with him on the side of a blonde teenage girl along with another man who had died early on. The trio had been fighting vampires. The girl who had seemed around Hermione's age, maybe a little older and she was of a similar height, had fought against hundreds of vampires that had swarmed in breaking the large glass windows of what appeared to be... a school library?

The girl had died in the end, and that was when she'd woken up, when the girl had been stabbed and thrown against a wall. Once the girl hit the wall she'd woken to a strange chilling voice whispering, but seeming to be all around her " _The world needs you Hermione, the world needs you to fight the forces of evil, fight the demons and vampires, you are chosen, you are the Slayer."_

She'd had more than enough of strange voices with Harry having heard that raspy voice speaking in parsel tongue in their second year at Hogwarts, she didn't want a repeat of that, but then again she didn't want to worry her friends, Harry was starting to get happier than he had been before they'd rescued Sirius, now he had Sirius, who was a sort of Uncle to him.

Making her mind up she decided she'd tell everyone one after the Quidditch World Cup that would be the day after the next, it just wouldn't be fair to worry them with this before hand especially when it was probably nothing.

Well that's what she thought until she was racked with pains all over her body, her vision blurring, and the room spinning around her, catching small glimpses of Ginny's flaming hair every so often.

Her mind was numbing almost as if she was under morphine...then suddenly spiking again in a throbbing pain, Hermione bit down on her lip hard though not wanting to make anyone aware of the pain she was under.

This must be what it is to be under the Cruciatus curse she thought before blacking out exhausted and overwhelmed by the strength just bestowed upon her...

* * *

**Thank you if you read it, This is just an introductory chapter! The next ones will be longer, and have a lot more characters in them! Trust me when I say I have a lot in mind for this crossover! :)**


	2. The purple notebook

**Hey thank you if read the previous chapter! I told you I'd add more characters in it, and I have. For the first few chapters the two worlds will be separate until the loose threads they have make sense and sew them together making them interlinked permanently, and solving small mysteries in both worlds.**

* * *

Willow Rosenberg sat in front of her peach vanity table in her bedroom, in a baggy tie-dye T-shirt and plain black leggings.

The vanity table had been a gift from her mother, probably hoping she'd grow to be more feminine, when in reality it acted more as a desk, its peach coloured wooden top being cluttered with fictional books and factual.

She stared into its mirror, looking past her reflection, though still seeing her pale scared face.

In reality she was back in the memory of whatever it was that had occurred earlier on in the day when her, Xander and Jesse had been having a water fight just around town, with big squirty bottles that had been filled to the brim.

Everything had been completely normal, well as normal as it got there in Sunnydale pondered Willow frowning at the thought and biting her lip.

They'd been laughing and joking around, Xander and Jesse never took anything very seriously, life was just a big game to them, Willow thought fondly, though it could hurt them in the future.

Anyway back to what had happened, they'd been aiming water at each other, making their hair sopping wet and dripping, both her and Jesse had been targeting Xander not really watching where they were going, after all though it was the High street the roads and street weren't all that busy most opting to stay in instead of wilt under the heat.

Though her and Jesse had had an agreement he soon turned his back on her, choosing to side with his childhood friend and soak her instead.

But when she'd walked backwards tripping and falling but not landing on her bum but hovering just above the ground and the water they'd both aimed at her staying just inches away from her face, until she gasped, making time return to normal again, hitting the ground and drenched in water at the same time.

She had left soon after that, not in the mood for water fights anymore.

What had she done? Well, presumably it had been her, who would have wanted to stop any of that from happening bar her? Unfortunately Willow thought this hadn't been the first time that sort of thing had happened to her.

_And probably not the last either_ her conscience whispered at the back of her mind...

With a sigh she swivelled in the chair, getting off her wheelie chair and crouching down beside it she tugged and pulled up a loose wooden floorboard that she'd not told her mother about, it was so she could keep things hidden from her, there were things her mother wanted to keep her away from or ignore and Willow knew that she couldn't do that. That somehow these things were apart of her, humming in her veins so to speak.

Inside the moderately small gap it left there was a purple notebook with a white label on the front, and few thin copies of Factual books on witchcraft which she'd found in her school library, she'd felt drawn to them in a way but knew most of it was complete claptrap...

She picked up the notebook, this was her notebook of 'strange happenings' and what Willow meant by that was that she'd written down everything that had happened similar to earlier or just generally things that seemed supernatural happening around her in Sunnydale.

Suddenly it occurred to her that of the few books on witchcraft or just of the supernatural she had seen and read, there had been something in a few of them about a place called the Hell mouth which was quite literally the mouth to hell, but it would only ever open from strong magical powers or forces and even then it had to be during a certain time usually linked to the moon.

She'd check those books out of the library when she got back to school next week the new librarian had brought the supernatural volumes with him in her last term of freshman year, the same time he started the job, maybe he'd have more after all he had said he'd look into it as she was interested and that not of all them had arrived from England.

After almost 2 months holidays they surely would have! The postal service wasn't so poor to take that long.

Anyway, Willow continued with a shake of her head, she was getting side tracked from the real topic a hand, she always did and was convinced it was Jesse's and Xander's influence on her.

Her notebook and what had happened today was what she should be concentrating on.

She thumbed through previous pages of it, dated when and all entries starting with 'what happened earlier today should be impossible but...' and continuing on with what had happened that day.

She then flipped to the next empty page and started to pen in what had happened only a few hours earlier.

Willow had started writing in this notebook aged ten, having already realised that she was different to other people, just not entirely sure what, she just knew she had made strange things happen.

It had taken her longer to clock onto the fact that not all places were like Sunnydale, with its many disappearances, murders and heists and some of the things stated in the papers or crimes that she'd seen with her very own eyes, they clearly were more than what the police said...and covered up.

She knew that for definite and what she meant by definite wasn't that it was obvious though it was if anyone with two brain cells read it and actually thought over the scenarios they were saying had happened. But, no it wasn't that it was because she had hacked their records looking over cases that seemed suspicious or strange, just to see if they had something different in their folders.

For some they had others they'd left blank probably because what had actually happened was to scarring and absolutely terrifying they didn't want anything like that scarring their paper and permanently on record.

After finishing writing her entry she flicked back through the pages just checking when the last time something like this had happened to her, because as she'd gotten older it'd started to get closer together like she was gaining power or something, though it hadn't spiked since she was eleven, when things had happened everyday like it was trying to send out a signal getting more and more desperate.

A dark cloud settled above her head she'd last written an entry just under two weeks ago.

With a sigh she put it back in its gap and pushed the floorboard down on top of it.

Saying idly to herself, "Well things can hardly get any worse tonight…"

A ringing noise erupted in the silence, her phone, really?

She picked it up and jumped up onto her bed, folding her legs beneath her.

"Hello?"

"Will, it's me Xander...What happened earlier? We both know it isn't nothing, it is anything to do with all those witchcraft books you've been getting out of the library?"

And of course things went downhill from there onwards.

* * *

Aberforth had been sloppy.

Of course he'd had to leave because of the Firemen and probable paramedics but he hadn't then checked just to make sure nothing could've been done for Buffy after that night.

But then why would he? When she'd said Hermione's name and the lines all slayers say on their death, that was meant to be it, the end of her short and tragic life.

No one had expected or even thought that the paramedics would then be able revive her, bring her back from the dead so to speak.

But there she was laying in a hospital bed, still unbeknownst to Aberforth.

Laying there unconscious as she would be for the next few days, her face without it usual tan and her blonde hair lank and greasy from not having been washed.

She still had bruise and cuts across her body but she'd pull through, she'd still survive, but no one yet knew that there wasn't just one slayer... that there were two of them, one muggle the other Witch, who would soon both be fighting for a better world.

When would they know of each other, and when would they meet?

Those were the true questions Whistler thought to himself as he watched the young girl and just sat there, the machine beeping rhythmically at her bedside.

Just sitting there he thought of all that would come to pass, and all both girls would face.

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**Thank you if you read it! I know its very short but I wanted to clear a few things up before starting the story properly! :) Please review if you notice any mistakes!**


	3. The slayers dream

**Hey! Thanks for following PAULA FOREVER, dragonfae, BreakFree01, pulp0, and sweedar, also for MJandSports who made my story a favourite :D . I just wanted to say things will pick up the pace a bit I just wanted to bring in some Willow as she'll play a big part in things to come (insert evil laugh here). please review if you see any mistakes. ****These characters belong to Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling! Also just to say as its literally just before Buffy's moved to Sunnydale so no interactions between the Scooby gang just yet but there will be in the chapters soon to come! Promise! ;)**

* * *

The next day Hermione had been sure she probably should have woken with a headache but strangely she felt better than she'd ever felt before, revived.

In a sense she felt like she'd been missing a part of herself until now, but now after last night...with what she assumed had been some form of... nightmare? Well, it couldn't have been anything else except maybe a deatheater? But then the rest of the house would have realised they would have been to her aid almost instantaneously.

The last thing Hermione remembered was an excruciating pain and just before that a voice telling her that she was the chosen one...the girl destined to be the slayer?

For about the second time during her entire lifetime she was unsure how to proceed (the first having been when she used magic before Hogwarts and knowing she was a witch which was pretty damn scary), of course she'd gather as much information as she could on the whole thing about the slayer deal, but apart from that should she really tell the others when she felt reinvigorated now and better than ever before?

She knew something was different about her, not just that she was a witch but something more that was an ancient power, maybe even before Merlin's time...

Shaking the thought from her head she skipped down the many stairs in the burrow to go find Harry, Ron or Ginny, they'd actually gotten up early (gasp) so they could fit in a game of Quidditch, Hermione had declined.

She met Ginny at the bottom who was waiting for her, tapping her foot impatiently.

Ginny looked up when she saw Hermione heading down and said in a quiet and serious voice " I think I must have imagined something last night...but it seemed like you were in pain or something, but before I could do anything you fell back asleep, is anything wrong Hermione?"

Taken aback at her having noticed she said " Well there was something strange going on but I'll tell you after the world cup, I don't want you to be preoccupied or worried, as It wasn't anything serious" almost choking on the lie at the end.

Drat, she thought I don't want her to worry about me when she should be enjoying herself.

" Anyway why don't we go outside, I'll be able to catch up with the gnomes and we could play some exploding snap?" Hermione said while trying to get her to think about something else, anything else really and finishing with a grin to lighten the atmosphere.

Hermione's friendship with the Weasley's gnomes had started near the time of S.P.E.W. , she just hated the way they'd been booted out of their garden mainly because of their behaviour but still it was discriminatory against the poor creatures. They had an agreement now and got along a hell of a lot better because of it. Why hadn't they though of it before? It would have saved them so much trouble.

Her and Ginny headed out into the garden to Harry and Ron. Chatting and giggling all the while, close friends having bonded a lot during the times of third year when Ron and Harry were unjustly mean to her considering his broom could have been cursed, they'd needed to check. She'd been concerned for his safety!

* * *

Though Buffy had not yet woken, unconscious, she was having the strangest dream it was of another girl, almost as if she getting to know her... like they were connected in a special way a way no others were, like their souls had been dipped in something different before entering theirs bodies, like how Buffy had felt and when she'd become the slayer, the thought running across her mind, well really ambling if you want to get technical, she was thinking about it for a while so maybe amble would have been a better fit.

Her mind was processing these things almost like she was mentally shaking her head at herself, saying

" Stupid Buffy how could that have happened unless you were dead!"

She ended up having an argument with herself.

"But for all I know I could be dead right now! This could be death!"

"Would you really still have some form of brain activity in death?" replied her other voice scornfully.

"You don't know!"

ugh. She really needed to stop doing that.

But the point she had made was that her and the girl were connected somehow.

What she'd been shown was the following.

_There was a girl lying in a bed, another in the other. But the one Buffy felt drawn to was the one sitting up in her bed, just sitting there her eyes moving from side to side like she were reading her thoughts on a page. The girl Buffy was watching with building curiosity, because why was she there? She'd only ever had dreams relating to her slayer duties before, was the girl linked in someway to that?_

_Anyway the petite girl was really pretty and had long wild curly brown hair, her big brown eyes wide and frightened. It took a second or two for Buffy to clock why she looked so frightened. _

_There was an echoing voice speaking in the background. Uttering the exact same thing Buffy had heard when she'd become the slayer. Buffy wanted to leave, to be able to leave, she didn't want to watch what she knew was to come. But she was stuck._

_Stuck watching the girl start to shake from the pain coursing through her body._

_Buffy knew what that pain was now._

_She'd been told when she'd become the slayer._

_It was her slayer 'powers' if you wanted to say it basically being bestowed on her, this so called 'gift' of being able to fights the forces of evil._

_She especially didn't want to be there as it meant Buffy had to be dead...but she couldn't be dead could she?!_

_The other fact Buffy realised was that, each person about to become the next slayer watched the other slayer in their last fight against evil._

_This girl had watched Buffy die._

That was when she'd started falling, she didn't know how or why but it was like she was falling and falling with nothing to grab onto into an infinite hole of darkness.

* * *

Dumbledore was in the process of writing a letter to the watchers council.

Having had a visit from Aberforth he'd been informed of Hermione's change from normal (but extremely powerful) witch too having her powers heightened amongst other things, thus transforming her into the slayer.

Of course he'd heard rumours and myths about the slayer over his 150 years but never really looked further into it.

He then scowled at the thought that it was his brother who had confirmed the truth and also telling him that the slayer was one of his own most promising students.

He was rather unsure whether he was entirely happy about the thought that now the wizarding world would be even more hectic then ever, of course only he thought it was hectic at that precise moment, but then he was one of the only people who had the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

He couldn't see how others had not to be quite frank.

Had young Harry not battled some form of evil in each of his three short years at Hogwarts?

And now when they'd thought he'd be the one putting others in danger, there'd also be Hermione Granger, though a hero along with Harry the dangers would be overlapping, making it twice as hard for them to fight the big battles Aberforth had told them were to come.

He needed to make the Watchers council aware of how Hermione being a witch would complicate her duties somewhat.

Well, thought Dumbledore with a dry smile at least Miss Granger still has that time turner.

* * *

**Thank you if you read it :) I hope the POV switching isn't too annoying it will stop, I promise and the next chapter will be about the Quidditch World Cup, so a lot longer with some dram :P , it may end up in two parts but we'll see...**


	4. Waking up

**Hey! Thanks for following,Dreamrealmer, Liger48, LittleOrihime, Nala Moon, unexpected sabotage, and nikkistaria. Also thank you for both adding to favourites and following: Babycutiepie and SimiDemon 1994. **

**The reason behind me changing the character list, is that technically speaking this is who their with for at least half this story (I am planning to go through the Harry Potter books from here onwards), I changed it to that because people got confused, so yeah, Harry, Ron &amp; co are going to obviously appear ALOT along with the Scooby gang (I promise), They will make their appearance when Buffy moves to Sunnydale it all links into the plot. Like I said I have big plans ;)**

** Other characters making appearances are: Cedric (Laughs evilly), Draco, Oliver Wood (not too much to be honest though, but still enough to be worth mentioning) Jesse, and Neville... when I say they'll be making appearances they'll each have a part to play, I just wanted to say that in case people got the wrong idea. I probably said this in a really confusing way sorry if it doesn't make sense... (PS- Pike was a character before she went to Sunnydale, for people confused to his mentioning) **

* * *

Buffy had woken up early, at first unaware of her surroundings, not really sure she was awake , who would be if they'd meant to be dead, and she WAS meant to be dead because otherwise that other girl wouldn't have become the slayer, she'd always been destined to after Buffy had died, but the one thing was that Buffy hadn't expected to die quite so young, having been the slayer for less than a year she thought she'd die older maybe when she lost her rhythm a bit in middle age, but not die in adolescence!

So yeah it was fair to say that she was more than surprised to see a room in front of her sleep ridden eyes, blurry and bright, but definitely there.

This could be another sort of dream or vision couldn't it?

Maybe when a slayer died they followed the next slayer? Guided them maybe that's where her instincts had come from the previous slayer guiding her?

Buffy soon threw these half mad ideas out of her confused mind, when with her eyesight clearing, she saw her mother and another figure standing just behind her.

She admits it, when she saw them she shouted,"MOM?" followed quickly by a "DAD?" well she thought she shouted but her voice was a lot quieter than her usual shout, her voice croaky and hoarse.

Uh oh this was going to take a lot of explaining, They knew that she was what they called 'troubled' and that she was most probably involved in something. They just didn't know that she was the slayer, with a sigh she ran through different ideas of what she could tell them, or she thought more hopefully the police might already have their own theory which she could therefore copy to match, feeling a weak grin spread across her face with the plan hatching.

Another idea would be to just play the whole 'I don't remember card' and gradually 'regain' the memories of what actually happened...

Uh oh! Pike would be so worried, she'd told him about what was coming but he obviously hadn't been there at the final battle.

Basically Pike was Buffy's only friend back in school, after becoming the slayer that is.

Before she'd become the slayer, she had been little miss popular, the 'it' girl, and Pike had been the loner, hiding away from the others and swapping snide remarks with her and the rest of her group daily.

That all changed when she became the slayer.

She couldn't hang out with her friends, she realised how shallow she'd been before, not really caring about things or people on an emotional level.

Pike had seen her sudden falling out with the popular crowd, and had started to wonder what had triggered it, they continued to taunt each other but then it had become more fun and friendly, from his side anyway, Buffy knew her job and didn't want to get anyone she knew killed because of it.

That had almost backfired, she'd been on patrol late one night and Pike had seen her walking by herself and had wondered why, He'd followed her to see where she was going and been attacked by vampires, the very vampires Buffy had been on the hunt for.

She'd saved him that night, to be fair to him though he put up more of a fight than most before she'd got to him, if hadn't he wouldn't be alive today.

From then on they'd become closer, maybe even proper friends or maybe even more... but now he probably thought she'd lied to him to avoid getting him killed and he hated it when she tried to do that, he wanted to fight by her side.

Maybe he even thought she was dead.

She bit back a groan and the tears threatening her aching eyes, not wanting to show any negative emotions that might link to her remembering stuff.

Clearing the sleep and possible tears from her eyes she sat up a little on the hospital bed.

"How long have I been out? and what exactly happened?" Buffy asked them looking up at her parents making her eyes huge and scared, to convince them all the more.

Her mother with expertly curled hair sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand in a loving way (Obviously she believed Buffy didn't really know what was happening, though they hadn't really said much yet)

She continued in a soft voice, like she didn't want to hurt her too much saying "The school burnt down honey, you were in the library with the history teacher, we're not sure why it caught fire but it looked as if was a deliberate attempt, and what I mean by that is that someone started the fire deliberately, whether they knew there were people in the building or not, they'll probably be charged with arson once found"

She pretended to act surprised, she knew who the 'librarian' her mother referred to and wanted to know if her watcher, Merrick, was safe and alive.

"Did we all get out alive, no one was hurt right?" Now, this part wasn't fake, Buffy really couldn't remember what actually went on in the battle, apart from the fact she fought alongside her watcher and some stranger who came midway, she had been to absorbed in the fight at that point to take too much notice of who...

Her mother paused for a second, turning to look at Buffy's dad who she'd divorced just a few short months ago, probably to do with how much trouble she'd been causing thought Buffy bitterly.

She knew what that pause meant.

Some one had died.

"Mom...tell me what happened? Don't hide things from me!"

Buffy hated this. She hated that it was her fault someone had died. Yes, Merrick had volunteered and had been trained as her watcher, knowing it was likely he'd end up dead because of it. But Buffy still cared about him and didn't want him to be dead because of her. They'd been through a lot together.

What could be even worse was the thought, that the person who had fought along with them, not even knowing who she was probably, maybe having been caught up in the school or something, fighting for their lives bravely like Pike had done previously.

If they had died, she wouldn't know what to do, they wouldn't even know the reason behind their death, they probably didn't even know of the supernatural. They didn't even know that she was the reason they were dead. No Buffy and they wouldn't have been torn apart by vampires...

Buffy felt completely and utterly overwhelmed. Everything was her fault, something must have gone wrong, the person who'd sent the letter, maybe it had been them, or maybe the vampires had realised someone had warned her, killed them and gone on early.

Being drawn back to reality with her mothers voice making the decision to continue with the events of a few days ago.

"Sweetie, you have to promise to remember it was very hard for the fire-fighters and the paramedics to even reach you on time, let alone the librarian, they retrieved his body after -"

"Now you don't really think we should be telling her this do you?! The police think they know who did it and that's all Buffy needs to know, We shouldn't be burdening her with all of this!"

"Well I think its important for her to know what happened so she can properly recover!" Her mother spat back at her dad.

If Buffy wasn't careful and didn't step in now it was likely to end up worse than most of her battles with vampires had gone!

"Look, Dad, I want to know what happened, its only fair, I was there and I was the on who experienced it, and telling me might give my memories a re jig, help me to remember what happened and maybe help the police with their investigation."

Her dad gave her mother a glare, walked over to Buffy's bed, gave her a quick kiss saying "I hope you get well soon sweetie but I don't think I should be here right now, I'm only stressing you out, I'll visit you soon after you've moved, on Thursday"

Then he left, leaving both Buffy and her mother gawping, she'd almost died less than a week ago, and now he wasn't even staying to see her recover?

Closing but then opening her mouth she said in an almost hollow voice "Mom, could you tell me the rest of what happened, you know he's wrong right...

"Well, what I was trying to say before your father felt the need to interrupt was that they retrieved his body shortly after they'd gotten you out"

She bit down on her lip hard, trying to keep her tears from flowing down her bruised and cut ridden face.

She decided it would be safer, if she wanted to keep her emotions in check it would be best to find out what the police thought.

"you mentioned that the police knew who it was... could you tell me, I want to know why this happened"

Blinking slowly and nodding her head her mother said "Buffy, they found that boy in your year near the seen of the crime, they have him arrested, in the lock up ready to question him, there had been another suspect but when they charged their house, they burst into flames... the police have a suspicion that it was more to do with gang crime, the boy claimed to know you, the police think maybe he knew you were at the school having a history study session and his initiation was to set it on fire or something of the like..."

"Wait, Mom, hold up what was this boy called? You can't just say he claimed to know me and not tell me who claimed to know me! I could tell you in a heartbeat whether they at least spoke some truth!"

"I don't really want to say, Buffy, he was saying things, strange things, and kept telling them he just had to know whether you were alive or not, he came out with stuff about you nobody knows except family or friends..."

"Continue please, I just want to know..." She had a bubbling feeling in the pit of her stomach, she could feel the acid rising, Buffy had an idea WHO they thought had set fire to the school.

Pike.

Snarky, adorable and gangly Pike, who had been with her through tough battles, with his big coffee brown eyes, and mahogany coloured bangs. They seriously thought it was him?

Well he did keep himself away from the rest of the school, except to make sarcastic remarks or snide comments. He was only close to Buffy, of course if the police had talked to the rest of their school community they'd think that there was something dark and dodgy that they were both involved in.

All the fights in school.

The days they skipped, and even the fire in the gymnasium.

"Mom, please say who, I won't be able to help with their investigation otherwise..."

"Fine..."

With a sigh she continued to tell her who the so called suspect was.

" It was that loner boy, the one you've recently become friends with, Poke or Pete I think his name is"

Buffy proceeded to empty the contents of her almost empty stomach.

* * *

It was the day of the Quidditch World Cup thought Cedric giddily, him and his dad would be going together, meeting and travelling there with the Weasley bunch, along with their friends Potter and Granger.

Cedric was almost jumping up and down with excitement, Bulgaria verses Ireland, seeing the worlds youngest professional seeker EVER play!

This was all that was running through his head as he rushed to get ready, grabbing his backpack, and hurriedly changing into the strange muggle clothing they'd bought the other day.

Jeans was what they were apparently called but not spelt like genes? Anyway, was also wearing a yellow t-shirt with a badger on it ,yes, a badger, for his house - Hufflepuff.

He ran a hand through his longish honey coloured hair, it was close to his eyes now, flicking it to the side in annoyance he thought, but had continuously refused to have it cut on the basis his mother and father thought it looked stupid.

So of course he liked it this way.

He bounded down the stairs to apparate at his Dad's side to where they would be meeting the Weasley's.

Greeting his mother with a "Good morning!" he proceeded to grab a slice of buttery toast for a quick breakfast and wait for his dad to hurry the merlin along.

After five or ten minutes of waiting, impatiently tapping his foot and humming a school song his dad appeared in what was supposed to be muggle walking clothes.

He beamed at Cedric and held out his arm, so that they could apparate, Cedric wasn't able to yet, as he wasn't seventeen.

He held his fathers arm, popping quite literally out of their house, into a woodland area, where they would wait for the Weasley's to arrive, which they should be in a short while.

Looking at his surrounding area, he was childishly pleased with the tree's, very nice tree's in fact, perfect for climbing he thought with a grin.

He then started to climb up the tall, tall tree, with its hard dark bark and many thick branches with bright green leaves on the ends.

Foot up, and arm there and another leg up, hoisting himself up on to one of the more hidden branches feeling like a muggle king up high where he could watch all but not be seen by those below.

He'd surprise the others on their arrival he thought, give Fred and George some of their own medicine he though with a grin.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :) Please review if there are any mistakes, also thank you Babycutiepie for your lovely review it made me smile ear to ear :) and yes they will be coming up soon... mwahahaha**


	5. The Quidditch World Cup

**Hey, Thank you for following, anmarie, and cutiepieeva and for INSECTgrl and Lightspire who also added it to favourites. Sorry that I said there would be the Quidditch World Cup in that last chapter, when to be honest there wasn't really much, in this chapter it will be the same day and mainly focussing on that one particular thing, I know there hasn't really been any Willow since chapter two, but trust me it will come, and their worlds will soon collide mwahahaha Anyway thanks for reading, here's chapter five and these character belong to Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling!**

* * *

Cedric stayed up in the tree, just sitting there comfortably, covered and in the freezing shade, the day yet to warm up.

He hoped they wouldn't take too long to arrive, it might seem odd to any passers by to see his dad wearing a bobble hat with muggle summer walking gear, well, he thought with a shake of his head he didn't really understand why they needed such a variety for that sort of thing anyway.

Turning his attention away from his dads attire he leaned forward, still covered, but leaning over the edge of the branch to see whether they were coming or a minute or so hanging of the sturdy branch, he was rewarded, there was a rabble of loud, with some sounding extremely sleepy, voices.

Ah it was definitely them, he could hear Mr Weasley talking animatedly to Harry trying to yet again understand the workings of some muggle contraption. Yes, he could just about see them now, the others just behind Mr Weasley and Harry.

Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and that Hermione Granger girl. Of course Cedric though not really knowing the others, except the twins they were in the same year so had of course had the occasional class together. To put it slightly they did not get along.

They were the jokers, the tricksters and jesters, annoying the Professors and pranking people everywhere, generally speaking though everybody liked them and thought that they were good fun to have around. Cedric was most definitely not that. Cedric was more just the all round popular guy in his year. Best in his Quidditch team (Not hard to be honest) , good looking, smartest in his year, kind, a prefect and a likely option for Head boy next year.

They did not mix well together. To put it slightly many tricks on Cedric, little presents from them had not always been taken lightly usually resulting in temporary feuds amongst the houses, their years only though.

The Gryffindor's didn't spend much time bothering to feud with others unless they were Slytherin, then things got serious.

Then came next was Potter, Weasley and Granger, he thought about them next mainly as he didn't really know much about the youngest Ginny except that she'd almost died just over a year ago.

Anyway. Harry, Ron and Hermione were obviously what made up the Golden Trio.

Potter being the chosen one, the boy who killed the dark lord, surviving the killing curse at the age of one, the one and only person ever to withstand its power, a legend among wizards everywhere.

Granger being the brains, she was meant to be the brightest witch her age, probably when she finished her education the brightest in over a century, if Cedric was quite frank she could probably sit all her O.W.L's early N.E.W.T.'s too. She was referred to as Gryffindor's Princess despite her protests, her title mainly due to her brains and skills usually related to her wits in the battles alongside Potter.

Of course the rest of the school hadn't really heard all of their adventures, not wanting to scare pupils or alarm them, but he had heard the rumours and all had seen their bravery and skills, also the amount of times they ended up in the infirmary showing not all could just be an 'accident'.

Then came Weasley, and when he said Weasley he meant the one soon to be in 4th year, Ronald he thought. Well, anyway Weasley was the humour, the loyal friend sticking by his Potter's side, and fighting alongside, especially helpful with general wizard knowledge that the others didn't know having been brought up in the muggle world.

They were almost underneath him now, talking to his father, Cedric wanted to get a better view of them but didn't want to shake anything or make noise alerting them to his presence so he stayed watching them between the leaves.

If Cedric stuck his head out a little further he could just about see Grangers bushy hair and Potters mop of black hair and his fathers wide brimmed hat.

So if he was correct his introduction should be soon, a light smile on his face thinking about his grand entrance.

Just when he thought he was safe, that nobody suspected his whereabouts he was wrong.

He wasn't pointed at or anything, Merlin that would have been embarrassing! For their first proper meeting to see him hunched up over a tree!

What it was, was that Granger girl, he could see her turning her head from side to side, looking around like she could sense something. Cedric knew she was smart but she didn't have super senses or whatever, no way could she see him!

At first he thought he was just being paranoid but when she looked up at his hiding place, staring through the gaps between the leaves with her huge chocolate brown eyes, he knew that she could just about see him, and obviously she could guess who he was, having just met his father.

She had obviously decided not to give him away and embarrass him especially in front of the twins.

Cedric could just about see his father start to turn around, looking for him seemingly confused as to his disappearance.

With a smug smirk he jumped.

* * *

Hermione's morning had been hectic, well not hers precisely but for those surrounding her.

She had gotten up fairly early, her furry tabby alarm clock alerting her with its purring ring, so she had also woken Ginny, who was albeit reluctant to wake until she had realised what day it was.

The boys had taken forever, and were still wiping the sleep from their eyes while waiting for the allusive Cedric Diggory to appear.

Of course, it wasn't hard to locate him, well the others hadn't noticed but she had, somehow she felt more tuned in to her surroundings and her senses more heightened.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out his hiding up a tree.

She decided it was only fair to let him make his spectacularly childish entrance, it was only fair, plus the others might find it weird that she had noticed while they hadn't.

While she was pondering over this it was a sudden THUMP from a few metres to her left.

Diggory.

Yes, there he was standing tall, a smug smirk on his stupid handsome face which could have been either in reply to some of the more shocked faces or just in general at his entrance.

The only thing that wrecked his proud image was the badger T-shirt, a cartoon badger on a bright yellow top. She knew why as obviously he was in Hufflepuff but still? Really?

Hermione rolled her eyes, because seriously he was 16 probably soon to be 17 and was acting immature and rolling in any attention bestowed upon him. Merlin! Why did all the girls fawn over him, going all gooey and saying how great he was and gushing at his supposed good looks.

Ginny included if Hermione was frank.

He was in her opinion rather superficial floating by on his looks and not his personality, she supposed he was probably polite enough but generally he wasn't all they made him up to be.

Anyway she needed to stop getting side-tracked by things.

Mr Diggory was smiling at him fondly now, like his son was the best thing in the universe.

"So as you can probably guess, this is my son Cedric, I think he already knows Fred and George?"

"Yes, their in the same year, Nice to meet you Cedric, this is Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione" replied Mr Weasley in his friendly voice.

" Well now the introductions are done I suppose we can all start walking, we'll need to reach the port key within twenty minutes..."

They each fell into separate groups, Hermione walking alongside Ginny not particularly interested in joining Harry and Ron start to fume about their lost match to Hufflepuff the year before.

"Did you know there was dress robes on the list this year? Was it on yours too Ginny? I wonder what's going to happen!" Hermione really wanted to know if it was actually anything important, she didn't really want to have to get all dressed up, and wasn't going to unless it was important.

"Yes I did know but it wasn't on my list... I think it must be fourth year and up, the twins got that as well, I do hope there's a ball or something, wouldn't it be absolutely stunning!"

Hermione snorted.

" I suppose it would be stunning... but I want to know why we need them, what sort would be best or whatever..."

Ginny looked at her trying to hide a smile, she said " So basically you just don't like not knowing what's going to happen"

Hermione heard a muffled giggle from behind.

Diggory.

Holding a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

He saw them looking and quickly moved his arm to his side, glancing back at them with his steel grey eyes.

Quickening his pace to match theirs.

"I knew you liked learning things, but I didn't think you'd find it quite so painful to not know something!"

" Who likes not knowing things then? I don't think I'm alone in that! Everybody gets curious!"

" I can see your point but don't you like surprises? It's nice to imagine all the different possibilities, don't you agree Weasley?"

Ginny, to Hermione's disgust blushed and fumbled on her words, startled by his attention at involving her in the conversation, before finally mumbling.

" I love surprises but that's probably due to how I love daydreaming..." finishing her sentence while staring at Diggory's face.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Elbowing Ginny in the side not wanting to embarrass her.

But of course Diggory had already noticed a content smile on his face. Used to the attention and loving how girls reacted to his looks. He saw Hermione's look at him at his shallowness and to save Ginny he at least replied.

" I don't think its just to do with daydreaming though, I mean who knows what they're getting for their birthday or for Christmas?"

Hermione sighed, she was getting sick of this conversation, how pointless was it? He was just trying to prolong her annoyance, he knew his behaviour annoyed and irritated her.

" Look, however enthralling you find this conversation, we've reached the port key, so nice talking to you Diggory"

The look on his face as he stood there motionless was absolutely priceless!

She then quickly stalked of to the manky old boot sitting on top of the patchy hill, grabbing and ragging Ginny along with her, not really wanting to watch her fumble and mumble around him any longer.

They waited for the others to catch up, tapping her foot all the while, when they finally did placing herself besides Harry and Ron, who were as always over protective of her.

They grabbed the boot and went spinning into the air.

* * *

Cedric felt like he'd been stupefied.

That Granger girl was definitely different to all the other girls he'd met.

She hadn't swooned or tried to grasp at whatever attempt of a conversation they'd made. She had seemed irritated by his very presence like she would rather be elsewhere.

He had loved the way she'd been so blunt and to the point not trying to hide her annoyance with him.

That was why when each and everyone of the others had fallen flat on the floor after the port key he tried to reach her, to help her up and to attempt to redeem himself in her eyes, his tree stunt obviously hadn't worked.

But as always they'd been there, Potter and Weasley seeing if she was okay while she stood fluidly and stretched her arms and long legs.

Cedric felt like he'd lost, they'd hardly see each other at school, so he had pretty much already lost his chance to win her over, to stun her with his dazzling looks, she could not be the only girl to hate him!

With a shake of his head the group split, him and his father heading to where they'd soon set up camp.

* * *

Willow was lying on a bobbly blanket just hanging out with Jesse and Xander not really wanting to do anything much in the last few days before school started back again.

She'd told Xander about some of the different things that had happened.

To be honest he'd taken it all rather well.

She'd shown him the notebooks and everything, she'd burst like a dam not being to hold it all in anymore.

It was probably fair they had known each other since they were four over ten years now, she hadn't told Jesse though her and Xander saying it was best to wait until something strange happened around Sunnydale and ask his various opinions guessing whether it was safe to tell him what she could do.

Jesse spoke up suddenly, they hadn't said much since they'd gorged on two tubs of ice cream ten minutes or so before.

"I think my brain freeze has died down now, wanna play some Frisbee?" finishing with a childish grin of his that melted the teachers in an instant, his eyes all playful innocence.

"Why not"

They all dusted down their summer clothing, and ran to various spots a good distance away from each other.

Things were good, thought Willow, they weren't great but she felt as if some kind of weight had been lifted of her since having told Xander, but deep inside her she knew this wouldn't be the last of her problems linked to whatever it was that she could do.

* * *

Hermione had decided the match had been most interesting, not picking up on a lot as she wasn't exactly what people would call 'Pro Quidditch'.

Sometimes a downside when you took into consideration all of her friends infatuation with it.

Ah well, she thought with a sigh it had made a nice trip out and then camping the night here, it was a nice breather before back to school next week, only a few days away.

Sitting up on the bunk she shared with Ginny, (she had the top), she jumped down of to go and find the others, it was around seven in the evening now they must have finished their ridiculous constant chanting from earlier...

To put it bluntly they hadn't.

Harry was sitting, knees pulled up to his chest, a flushed and happy smile n his face while Ron was prancing around with a green cape?

The twins accompanying him, adding in some sort of chorus to his professions of love to Viktor Krum.

Wow, her friends were strange...

With a dejected sigh, really she had expected them to be back to normal by now, she grabbed Hogwarts: A History, an old favourite of hers and headed into what they considered the kitchen area of the tent, settling down to a nice quiet nights reading.

Or so she thought...

It wasn't even Half an hour later that Mr Weasley burst in to the kitchen area, saying breathlessly about how they were 'under attack' and that they had to get out of there right that very moment.

She was up in a shot, racing to the other room fetching Harry and Ron, the twins already having left with Ginny the Weasley's father not wanting her to be alone, she was too young for that.

But some how they'd been left behind, in the hurry they'd forgotten.

Running out the tent, all possessions left forgotten and irrelevant at that precise moment.

They hadn't been running long when they saw people in the distance marching, chanting, but they didn't just appear to be death eaters, there was something different about their faces...

They were vampires.

It wasn't just from her lessons with Lupin that she knew that, it was instinctual, though she didn't know how.

Though Harry and Ron would already know the danger, she pointed out the obvious anyway.

"Guys RUN!"

Then they ran, and ran and ran until Hermione tripped, she'd fallen and in the muddle between the fog, she couldn't see Harry and Ron anymore, they were nowhere to be seen.

Turning to look around her she saw nothing but grey damp fog and the silhouette of somebody.

Hermione took in a deep breath, got up and stood tall, wand poised in front of her and a plank of some sorts, as a makeshift weapon against the vampires, if it was them, though realistically she wouldn't stand much chance against their strength.

She braced herself, and dared herself to talk, they hadn't made a move yet...

"Who's there?"

The mystery person let out a sigh of what appeared to be relief.

"Thank Merlin that its you Granger!"

It was Diggory.

She could tell from his voice.

He walked through the fog to her side.

"Yes, I'm glad I'm not alone in this, did you know there are vampires out there?"

He looked startled at this fact, obviously no then...

"No...How did you get away?"

"Well I think we saw them before they could see us"

"Well that's good, I think we need to stop talking though we can't really see, you never know where they might be"

"Too right buddy boy".

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffhanger :P I promise I'll update the fight by the end of the week though so you'll soon know the outcome mwahahaha,**

**Thanks for reading and please review if you spot any mistakes :)**


	6. The Fight

**Hey! Thanks for following! These characters belong to Joss Whedon and J. K. Rowling!**

* * *

**last time:**

_"Well that's good, I think we need to stop talking though we can't really see, you never know where they might be"_

_"Too right buddy boy"_

* * *

Both Cedric and Hermione turned- in what felt like slow motion- to see who it was that possessed that dark rumbling voice, threatening their lives.

She wasn't entirely sure who she'd rather die facing.

Death eaters or vampires?

One of the questions she knew was unlikely to be answered was WHY the vampires were with the death eaters?

or

Was it a coincidence?

She knew the probability of coincidences...

If she wanted to get technical she knew that battling a deatheater was probably a better bet, she and Cedric has a slightly lower chance of dying, but she knew they would snap them in half like a vampire could.

They both stood there, side by side, wands at the ready, and sharp drifts of wood from the attack.

They were poised to fight.

The people, now standing in front of them, seemed a muddled bunch...

Looking across Hermione could see there was definite vampires, They each of the four had their hunting faces out and the leader seemed to be oddly clad in some sort of school get up?

What she was looking for though was the person who the rumbling voice had belonged too,...

Ah.

She could see him, close enough to seven foot, making even Diggory look shorter than usual!

He had bulging muscles and his mouth was red with blood, both her and Diggory unconsciously checked the other was still beside them and shuffled closer together, she couldn't stop thinking who that poor unfortunate person had been.

It made her blood boil, her pulse quickening with the idea of a fight to come, she would take down these bloodsuckers no matter what, just make a difference, make a dent in their attack.

Her and Diggory wouldn't give up, they'd fight until their very last breath.

She turned to look up at her fellow pupil, _at least he had some chance of survival_ she thought flippantly...

She was looking up at him while the vampires seemed to be getting ever closer, she didn't know why they were taking so long, honestly they probably realised that Hermione and Diggory knew they weren't likely to escape via running.

Diggory looked down at her and seemingly flicked his eyes, letting her know they should be the ones to lead the attack, giving them a slightly higher chance of surviving.

He shuffled his wood around in his hand looking unsure of how to hold it, Hermione raised her eyebrows at that though the unnatural shape of the wood, it felt only natural in her hands like some form of instinct.

They both moved forward, the vampires turning to look at them in shock

_Good_ she thought, _now that might buy us some time!_

Hermione tackled the vampire nearest to her, expecting to fly of and was mightily surprised when she didn't.

She brought the vampire down.

She. BROUGHT. the. VAMPIRE. DOWN.

Trying to hide her shock, they both wrestled, trying to get into a position to kill the other, the wood slipping in her hands and being unable to turn to see how Diggory was faring.

Realistically she knew that killing this monster of a vampire would make his chances of surviving skyrocket. A petite little teenager like her however didn't stand much of a chance.

She grabbed at the slipping wood, she'd managed to push him down, She grappled for her piece of wood.

Finally gripping it, making a quick gesture of success she started to stab it in a downwards position aiming straight for his heart.

WOOSH!

She fell flat on the ground, slightly disgruntled and stunned at what had just happened.

Pulling herself up fluidly and dusting of her now mud spattered and dust infected jeans, she turned to take in the scene surrounding her.

One vampire had appeared to have fled, seeing how she'd just handled the second biggest vampire apparently, also because of the fact there was no dust that she could see, though it was misty, and she could see smoke at the edges of the battle scene suggesting these new vampire friends wouldn't want to be staying too long.

With a grin she realised belatedly she saw the two outlines of people fighting, Diggory? He was slowing quickly the bigger one of the two, overpowering him, playing with him trying to make him seem like he had a chance.

With a gasp she saw his different styles, how likely he was to perish soon, she raced to them, but the huge vampire could see her, and moved their battle always taking them further and further away.

She had an idea, but settled for another attempt at staking the other vampires, one being left as the leader had ran.

Seeing her apparent skills and strength had scared her, for reasons unknown to Hermione it terrified her too.

She somehow in one sliding movement dusted the other vampire, maybe newbie? Anyhow they hadn't even had time to protect themselves.

Maybe that's why she had overpowered them quite so quickly?

Either way she was on a roll!

She started to expertly crouch and start to travel over to them, remembering she had her wand she said a charm, making herself invisible, who really cared if they used magic in a life or death situation?

The ministry of Magic would surely understand.

She knew the vibrations in the air would alert him, the vampire she meant, but she had the advantage of him not being able to see her, he would assume something else, well she hoped he would.

She was close now.

She could see both of them clearer as well, Diggory looked exhausted sweat pouring down his usually calm face. The vampire wasn't even trying, he was just going through the motions waiting for Diggory to plead for death.

She was too caught up in the monsters strategy, wanting to see his next move, looking up at them with her eyes wide, that she realised belatedly the vampire had literally flicked its hand and Diggory had gone flying.

"DIGGORY!" Hermione yelled at the very tops of her lungs, she would not have him die here right now, yes she hated him and his annoying ways but that didn't mean she wanted him dead!

Her charm stopped from her outburst.

The vampire with it red dripping mouth turned to her, visible again, seeing who the outburst had come from.

It appeared to take a step back, not because it needed one but because of its shock.

Probably because they were scared to know how and why she had lasted so long when they should have overpowered her easily.

Hermione let out a piercing and absolutely terrifying scream, She ran at the beast, looking at its hard chest imagining where she would stake him. She would avenge Diggory's death, of course she didn't know whether he was dead, but certainly that last blow he'd sustained would severely damage him if not kill him.

The creature now seemed more prepared for her, its hunting face hardening, making it look even more fierce.

They fought for what seemed like forever.

Battling across each side of the terrain.

Both nearly dying too many times that they'd both lost count.

Hermione felt her eyes start to droop, starting to feel tired and weary, but she only had to stumble past where Diggory was lying pale and motionless on the ground for her hatred and fuel to fire up again.

She started fighting again, even more quickly with even more strength, her strategy became even more ruthless and the vampire even had the grace to look slightly scared, like he knew he wasn't going to last long.

It made its final mistake when it used Diggory as a prop, trying to use him as a way to get to Hermione, he'd thought in the wrong way, it helped her she angrily staked it in the heart, but not before kicking it and beating it down in a furious manner at how the vampire had been so in humane.

She stood their panting suddenly breathless at the battle having just taken place, the adrenaline in her blood cooling down, her hair dampened down.

She ran to Diggory where she hoped to find a way to help him, if he had not already passed.

But upon turning she saw two figures standing behind her seemingly shocked.

Dumbledore, Aberforth and Oliver Wood?

Had they witnessed that just then, her mind racing into over drive unsure where they had come from and why they were here.

She ran past them and looking around in a panicked way she realised Diggory was gone, he was nowhere to be seen.

For Hermione that was the final straw, she fell to the ground in a sudden heap of exhaustion and from how overwhelming the whole situation was.

Blackness enveloping her and dragging her downwards.

* * *

Buffy had left hospital the day previously.

She had given her statements about what had happened, she hadn't turned Pike in, she'd protected him she couldn't even believe the police had ever thought him a suspect.

But the one thing everyone had been adamant on was the fact that there was to be no contact between her and anyone from her old school, her old area in fact.

They were to move, to a stupid place of the name Sunnydale, nothing Sunny about moving away from Pike she thought sullenly as she looked out of the vehicle speeding down the motorway, her hair flying everywhere from the wind flowing in through the window.

They'd be there in a few hours, ready to unpack and to start a new life.

It wouldn't change her supposed destiny fighting vampires and being the chosen one.

Buffy had made a promise to herself that once there she would never involve anyone else, as leaving them or getting them hurt would just be to much for her.

She curled up on the seat crying at the loss of her only friends, one dead, and the other one she'd been the reason behind their arrest.

Some friend she was.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :) please review if you spot any mistakes or have a different idea for fight scenes as I wasn't entirely sure how to write them :/ also the plot is going to start to move along now, the Scooby gang coming together and more of the golden trio, there'll be a lot of answers in the next chapter :P**


	7. Answers and Introductions

**Hey! Thanks for reading I told you I'd give you answers and here they are! (mwahahaha) These characters belong to Joss Whedon and J. K. Rowling. There will also be the starting of the Scooby gang, introductions will be made, the golden trio will be making appearances in the next chapter...along with a few other characters...**

* * *

Cedric woke up, eyes bleary and sleep ridden. He realised that he didn't know where he was as the last thing he remembered was a strange fight at the Quidditch World Cup.

Collapsing, well being thrown by the mahoosive bloody vampire actually, Dumbledore, a strange man who looked really similar to Dumbledore...and Oliver Wood?

He had absolutely no idea why they'd been there or anything before that apart from snippets of a fight with him and Granger taking on vampires. Her will and general grim determination bonding them closely, fighting alongside each other for their lives.

He knew the vampire had been playing with him, had been messing to try and make him beg for death when he hit exhaustion, but when he'd seen Granger kill that other vampire he had hope fill up inside of him and brim over the edges, maybe he could take on this vampire long enough for her to survive...even if hadn't.

Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, letting out a wide yawn he looked around the place he was now apparently staying at.

It had grubby walls, a beige colour with peeling wallpaper, he wrinkled his nose it was almost as bad as some of the abandoned buildings he'd explored in his holidays well bar all the cute antique furniture it had a sort of cosy feeling, with a rickety coffee table, a worn red velvet sofa and an ancient marble fireplace with a dying fire within.

He glanced around the rest of the room..."GRANGER?"

There she was, lying on another sofa, really how many sofa's did this mystery person have? Her face pale and chestnut brown hair slightly greasy, a patchy blanket covering the majority of her small curled up body, like she was protecting herself, trying to take the shape of a shell.

She opened her eyes slowly, turning to look at him, her huge doe eyes blinking at him took a deep breath and tried to hold back all the questions he'd had buzzing in his head since he'd woken up.

"Her-Granger? What happened at the tournament, I saw you fight those vampires...bu-but how, they were so strong, I saw you continue fighting when I fell, I tried to call out but I couldn't..." quickly changing to say her surname instead of her actual name, though he felt closer to her, she would think it strange for him to call her 'Hermione' instead of Granger.

He'd also felt a sudden scared feeling in the pit of his stomach, when he'd started talking... he'd realized she was strong and powerful, he'd seen her take on those vampires, he didn't know whether he wanted to know why, just remembering the whole battle had him stuttering...

She tucked a strand of one of her curling tendril like hair behind her pixie like ears, showing more of her pale heart shaped face. Sitting up and letting out a sigh she began to talk.

"Look I don't know how I fought them off Diggory, I'm really sorry ok? I know you probably have loads of questions and I will try and answer them, but truly I want to know where we actually are first... who's home we're at, for all we know we could have been kidnapped!"

She was right.

It wasn't fair to burden her right now, especially pretty much instantaneously after he'd woken her up.

Shaking his head, he continued to say in more hushed tones (they didn't know what their host was like, did they?!) "You're right I'm sorry, I'm just rather curious, do you think we should call out to them, actually no thats a bad idea...maybe we should have a look to see if we can take a guess at who it is?"

"It's not necessary for that Mr Diggory" said a voice that sent him jumping 50 feet in the air.

Cedric turned to the doorway, where a door practically hung of the doorframe. Situated in it was Professor Dumbledore, another man who looked strikingly similar to him, and Wood the previous Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Why was he there? Professor Dumbledore he could understand and maybe the other stranger but Wood?

"Hello Professor, Sir, and Wood, I was merely wondering what was going on..."

Granger had sat up now desperately attempting to tame her curly birds nests like bed hair, a light blush on her extremely pale face.

"Morning Professor, Aberforth, and Oliver" she said in a chirpier than previously voice... she hadn't talked to him like that, thought Cedric sullenly, in fact she'd seemed rather irritated. Not really considering the fact he'd woken her early after a day of exhaustion. He silently noted the fact she'd said Wood's name as if they knew each other, though realistically he shouldn't be surprised as they were both in the same house, one of her best friends a seeker on the team.

"Morning Miss Granger" they each replied one by one, with Wood finishing with a grin and saying Hermione. That made him want to glare him down, but realised that was and idiotic thought, who cared if they knew each other well, what he should be bothered about was that they all seemed to be acquainted, even the man who was a complete stranger to him.

He decided to be open about it and say it bluntly.

"Look, could you tell us what's actually going on here, I'm not trying to break up this friendly meeting but I'm feeling rather clueless at the moment"

Dumbledore gave him a half smile and said "Well, I would but the other two would like to talk to Miss Granger first, it's really up to her after that"

When Dumbledore had finished speaking, Hermione had paled even more, which he wasn't sure was even possible, well she sure knew how to beat the impossible.

"Granger are you sure...?"

He didn't know what they were going to tell her but if it was the reason behind the attack he knew it was only going to be bad news. He didn't want to leave her alone after she'd just been attacked, sure he'd been the weaker one, and also the one to almost die, to practically give up but he wasn't about to desert her after sharing a near death experience with her.

Now he could understand the deep bonds between the golden trio, how they'd bonded from the various crapes they'd gotten into, probably relying on each other to get them through alive.

She nodded, a small but definite nod, adding clarity when she said "Yes I'm sure, knowing is better than not knowing, I'll go with you"

After that was said and done, she stood slowly stretching after her body having rested for hours on end, she was wearing the remainders of a baggy T-Shirt with some strange logo on it and baggy jeans that stopped at mid calf, the rest of her skinny legs poking out at the bottom. She hadn't changed since yesterday, obviously evident with the dust and mud decorating her clothing, though Cedric was hardly surprised why would she have? She hadn't known where they were either.

She then proceeded to accompany Aberforth and Wood out of the room.

Cedric waited for the door to shut behind them to let out a cry of frustration, burying his head in his pillow. Wondering what in the merlin was so important that couldn't be discussed with Dumbledore, and why wasn't he allowed to hear?

Dumbledore smiled a sympathetic smile, unseen by Cedric who kept his head buried in the silky pillow still raw with the feelings of frustration.

* * *

Hermione was nervous.

She didn't like to admit it but she was, she wasn't sure whether she really wanted to know what this oh-so-important news was. Thinking back to yesterday she wondered whether Harry and Ron and all the others had made it out ok, she truly hoped everyone was alright.

In the end it was her curiosity that won out in the end, she hated not knowing things, it was one of her few weaknesses, that books and loyalty.

"Aberforth, Oliver, please can we get this over with, This whole thing is quite frankly scaring me!"

Aberforth and Oliver shared a look, the older man had a weary air about him contrasting with Oliver's apparent excitement, like he could hardly contain himself.

Hermione wondered why at that, as far as she knew the only things he got extremely excited about was Quidditch!

"Please can you be entirely honest about everything?" She added on as she knew they obviously weren't sure how to start.

They both leaned forward simultaneously Aberforth saying "It's best if you start my boy, you know more about it than I do"

Oliver nodded, his handsome face serious at once.

"Well Hermione you see, I think it's best to start by asking, have you had any strange dreams recently? Involving a young girl battling vampires, the girl would have died in the fight... It's important to start of with this, you have to be completely honest with us now"

Hermione was stunned, it was fair to say she had not been expecting that.

"Well, I'm certainly didn't think you were going to say that, how do you know? But yes I did, and actually Aberforth you fighting alongside the girl, she hit a wall and I woke up to a scratchy voice saying I was the chosen one, the slayer, destined to fight the vampires... what is it, what's going on, why is this happening to me!?"

"You see what that dream meant, that other young girl dying and the voice was whispering a prophecy, as you Hermione are the next in line, the destined one to fight the vampires, and the demons in the world, that girl dying awakened your powers."

"How do you mean? I don't quite get where you're going with this..." Hermione said getting slightly more panicked towards the end, her breathing quickening, Oliver grabbed her hand in a gesture of comfort, he had loved this myth, but was now uncertain of how it would affect those surrounding him.

"Hermione, all I'm trying to say is that you are now the chosen one, you've been chosen for this, they've known you were coming and fate has decided you are destined to fight the dark forces of the world, there is only one girl chosen at a time, they have to die for the next in lines powers to be awoken."

"Ok, what are these powers, I'm not sure what you mean by that, as I'm already a witch... what other types of powers are there?"

"Basically you have the strength of ten men, making you able to fight the vampires, and your sense have been heightened, including your magical abilities, also because of your magical abilities your slayer powers are even more heightened than the usual slayers... No one knew that before as there have only been muggle slayers up until you."

"I have all that? Are you sure? I certainly don't feel like I do, but I did notice a change from the day after the dream, is that normal?"

"Yes it is, me and Aberforth have been looking into all the different information we could find, and that certainly seems the case, most have some form of accident with their strength thus alerting the Watchers Council."

"Thank you for that, what is the 'Watchers Council'?" she replied with a small smile "and where do you come into this Aberforth? I don't understand how you knew all this was around us"

Oliver continued, after Aberforth indicated he would explain his part in time and allowed him to explain all that was happening thoroughly.

"The Watchers Council basically look out for you, well they're meant to anyway, they have people working for them looking for the next potential slayer, they also have people trained as 'watchers' who train the slayer, and help them, giving them advice and looking for various information on any particular demon they are soon to fight."

"Wow, this it's just so strange, more so than when I found out I was a witch, its all so fascinating, do they know I'm now the slayer? Will they send someone for me? I won't have to leave Hogwarts will I?!" the torrent of questions leaving her mouth, this strange new world made apparent to her, all the more intriguing...

Oliver laughed a throaty laugh that made her want to blush her curiosity always got to her at the best of times.

"No they don't yet, Dumbledore has sent them a letter though so they will soon enough, once they do they'll probably follow through with all the normal rules, and I doubt they could tear you away from Hogwarts, if you're apart of two worlds they'll have to deal with it, and go through me if they try anything!"

"Oooh I can't wait to meet them all! I wonder what my watcher will be like, maybe one of you too could help! and Thank you for saying that, Aberforth could you now explain your part, I don't see how you fit the puzzle yet..."

Aberforth smiled at her enthusiasm and continued to tell her his story and how she tied into it.

* * *

Willow was just on her way to Jesse's house, they were going to have a movie marathon as it was the last weekend before school started up just veg out watching crappy TV or whatever, they usually had fun whatever they did, they'd probably end up staying at his house, it wasn't like her mom actually cared, she only made a fuss if she wanted to go outside of Sunnydale which when she thought about it was kinda strange.

Just outside his house she saw something that caught her eye, a moving van, how cool there'd be someone new on the block!

When Willow said the block she meant just generally in hers, Xander's, and Jesse's terrain, as they all lived so close together and were the only people in their year who did. Then again it wasn't like other people in their year actually cared, they weren't cool or popular just nerdy and goofy.

Willow didn't really care though, they had fun and were great friends.

She was getting side tracked again, with a shake of her head she watched as the van stopped quite literally next to her.

Willow felt a grin come on inside of her, maybe if there was a girl their age she would have someone to finally talk to properly girl to girl... or maybe she'd be a complete nerd just like her and actually know what was going on in class, not bothering her about stupid questions like the other two!

She was getting more excited by the second.

She went up to the van, knocking on the car window on the passengers side, when it rolled down she said to the person, a pretty girl, with short dirty blonde hair and a fringe she smiled at her and started to speak.

"Hey, I'm Willow I live just down the street, my friends your neighbour I was just wondering whether you wanted any help unpacking all your stuff?"

The girl looked at her quite blankly, Willow gave a tentative smile unsure if she may have offended her in some peculiar way...

Her mother leaned over from the passengers side and said in a kind voice " It's very nice to meet you Willow I'm Mrs Summers and my daughter here, is Buffy, sorry for her rudeness... it was lovely for you to offer to help out with our unpacking, but I really wanted to get down to that by myself, a lot of random artwork sorry, maybe you could chat with Buffy here, introduce her to your friends?"

"Mom, I don't need to be spoken for, sure I'll hang with you and your friends, why not it'll be cool to know some people before school starts, what year you going into to?"

Willow gave Buffy a smile and said addressing both at the same time.

"If you're sure Mrs Summers, if you change your mind we'll be in the house alongside the one you're moving into, I'm just about to start my sophomore year, you? come on Buffy"

They jumped into action, Mrs Summer nodding and saying goodbyes, and the other girl Buffy quickly opening the car door and jumping out.

She immediately made Willow feel childish with her baggy red T-shirt and loose Dungaree shorts, stopping a little over the knees. Whereas Buffy was wearing a pale blue miniskirt and flowery crop top showing her belly button.

"I'm starting my sophomore year too, maybe we'll have some classes together?"

Willow smiled at her and said "Probably, we have quite a mixed year, the classes vary a lot...Just wait a minute, I just want to check with my friend, Jesse, as it's his house, not mine"

She knocked on the half painted front door which was quickly answered by none other than Jesse.

Jesse immediately grinned widely "Hey Willow! Took your time to turn up didn't you, I've been waiting for absolutely ages! Do you know where Xander is?"

"I'm sorry, I got distracted, no id didn't... did you know there are people moving into the house next to you, there's a girl our age as well, I invited her to hang out with us, that ok?"

"Sure, sure, space in the gang yet"

Willow turned slightly indicating to Buffy who was awkwardly standing at the side path to come on down.

"Jesse, this is Buffy, Buffy this is Jesse" gesturing to the short blonde beside her and then to Jesse.

"Hey Buffy nice to meet you"

Jesse moved aside for her and Buffy to go on in.

Willow decided that this girl was definitely going to be the start of something different, she felt something radiating of off her, she just wasn't sure how it was going to affect them yet...

Shaking her head she headed inside last shutting the door behind her.

They all headed up to Jesse's room, a place to be in awe at, especially for a techno whizz such as Willow, his computer, laptop, TV, PlayStation and sound system all up tto the highest standards anyone could get.

It was fair to say going to Jesse's was one of Willows favourite places to go too.

When they reached his room (It was in the attic) they each jumped of a bean bag and started the awkward introductions, things would have been a lot less awkward if Xander was here thought Willow kind of sadly, he always knew how to break the ice.

She decided to take over his role...

"So Buffy why don't you start with telling us your interests or whatever, maybe why you moved here?"

Buffy launched into a long explanation first saying "Please don't judge me in this story, it's not as bad as it seems..."

That soon led to a much less awkward afternoon, they all left at the end closer and actually seemingly on the path to become close friends sharing embarrassing stories and interests.

Willow left feeling warm and happy but sad that Xander never joined them.

* * *

Cedric didn't move an inch from his position until he heard the door start to creak signalling their return. Then he sat up in a shot, his back straight and rigid.

Turning his eyes to where Granger would be, she had to be back now didn't she? It had to be her.

He was right.

There she was walking through the doorway, alongside Wood and that other guy Aberforth, smiling and almost glowing in a weird sort of way, that he didn't quite understand.

"Hello! We're back, I now understand everything, it all seems a lot clearer and I feel more at ease..." She slowed down then, properly taking him in...

"I would tell you Diggory, it would be only fair, as I'm the reason you almost died...but the more you know the more likely you are to die because of me, so I really don't know what to do" She babbled out, solidifying her decision at the end.

She was trying to avoid his gaze he knew, he could tell as she knew how unfair she was being not telling him the reason behind their near death experience... or maybe it was the intense glare he was now looking at her with.

It was fair to say after her downhearted departure he hadn't expected such a well mundane entering, he'd expected a tear stained face, or a trembling mouth, this was unexpected, even less was the way she was the fact she didn't want to tell him.

He took a deep breath trying to calm himself "Granger, I get that trying to protect me, but wouldn't it be better to tell me the threat? The people already know me, recognize me and will probably associate you with me, I'll be safer knowing what's going on! Not being in the dark while they'll kill me easily"

Granger seemed to explode at that, her face moulding into a seriously terrifying glare.

"You have a nerve, trying to protect you? By you not knowing you are protected YOU ABSOLUTE DRAGONS DUNG! Yes, they may recognize you, but did you just happen to forget that they think you're dead? You would have been if you were a muggle! Don't try to think up reasons for why you should know, this is my battle not yours, don't try to get involved when you're only going to get killed or mess up my plans!"

He tried to start speaking, to get out some form of sentence but she stopped him quickly.

"Bu-"

She put up her hand cutting him off.

"No, Diggory that's my final word on it, don't bother trying again, and I swear I'll hex you into next month if you so much as try to find out what's going on, I don't care about your fan club or that you're a sixth year, don't underestimate me, and don't bring up this battle to anybody, I don't want any rumours running around, ok?"

With her final word she just looked at him with a stern expression on her face to note his acceptance and turned on her heels out of the room, quickly followed by a laughing Wood.

Cedric was almost too stunned and could only reply with a short nod. That girl sure knew how to argue her point.

He wasn't going to give up though, yes that Granger had a big bossy mouth but he had to know, and he didn't care how long or how he found out he just knew then he would and didn't care what this bossy fourteen year old said.

* * *

Hermione leant against the door, not really shocked at what she had done, Diggory didn't need to know, so he wouldn't and that's the way she was going to keep it.

She turned to a still laughing Oliver and said with sudden realisation "What am I going to tell harry and Ron?"

With that sentence the laughing stopped abrubtly.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope this chapter isn't confusing or whatever, if there's anything I didn't clear up resolving the fight just say and I'll add a conclusion :) Hope you liked this chapter!**


	8. The discovery and alliances

**Hey, thanks for following :) This chapter will leave a few hints, guesses are welcome :P Also I wanted to ask who do you think should fall for Hermione, adding in some angst on the side... maybe a couple, probably not though as it's her and Viktor for this story...later on though maybe one of the others... anyway it's between Cedric or Draco. Review your choice ;) I just want to know your opinions, even if you say neither... **

* * *

It was the evening before they returned to Hogwarts and George was sitting at the dining room table in the tent. The tent they had previously left back at the Quidditch World Cup, along with Hermione seemingly though apparently something happened and she and Diggory were with Dumbledore?

Weird. He tried to shake of the feeling but felt it still lingered.

Something was going on there and he didn't like it. If she had been hurt because of him, there'd be trouble; Diggory wouldn't make it until the evening of when they found out if she was hurt that is.

They didn't know what was going on and George probably shouldn't speculate. Yeah, yeah, distract himself with other things... new pranks, ideas, Quidditch...urm...urm...the way Diggory had been looking at Hermione. She was like a little sister to George, and Diggory had been attempting to flirt and had made those weird big eyes at her trying to make her melt. No, No don't think of that. Think of pranks for Diggory or, or "search the tent for hexes like you're meant to be doing"

Oh, that hadn't been him, turning around feeling slightly confounded he saw the face of his twin brother, Fred, his identical face with gingery hair almost in his eyes and face flushed from hauling around the table in the temporary kitchen, ah, he was meant to be helping them check for any hexes that might have been left by the Death eaters or any nasty surprise by the apparent vampires.

"Ok,Ok, I'll start helping now I promise, just keep your hair on I still like to confuse people as to who's who which definitely wouldn't work if you were bold, anyway where've you checked? Don't want to waste extra time searching through areas you already searched through do I?"

"You don't want to do anything period, come on, the quicker we get it over and done with the quicker we can pack whatever tonight and have some form of lie in tomorrow before we go back to school with its horrible early school hours! You don't want to go back sleep deprived do you?"

As soon as Fred had said those terrifying words, _sleep deprived_, he had jumped into action, not really caring where he was looking just as long as they covered the kitchen area as they said they would.

After what felt like hours having searched their given area from top to bottom with nothing to show for it both Fred and George went to jump onto the table, in search of relaxation but landing didn't go quite as planned, Fred kicking the side of the table with a deadening WHACK!

Then something happened that George had not really thought of, the side of the old wooden table victimised by Fred's swift kick gave way, revealing a small, and obviously secret compartment.

It was empty as far as he could tell, but then again they weren't exactly in the best position to see any of its contents, both him and Fred shared a curious look before scooting of the table to go and take a better look.

George felt something twist inside him, what could be in it? Maybe a something listening to them, what was it Hermione referred to it as again... a bugging device? Or maybe it was something left by the Death eaters, or the vampires, more than likely the vampires out of those choices yes vampires were quick but they couldn't make a secret un noticeable on an old table within under an hour, especially not being able to notice anything different about the markings around it.

Shaking his head he turned to Fred who grinned saying "Ladies first"

"No you stupid Hippogriff, that would also make you a lady"

"True true..." he replied with a goofy grin but then said "I'll do it if you like" peering into the secret compartment that seemed to go on forever...

Making a split decision he said "Wait, look how far back it seems to go, I just want to test something"

He stood quickly, up from his kneeling position and knocked on the table clearly, above where he thought the compartment was., it didn't sound hollow, which it probably should do considering how big the gap was...hmmm definitely a wizard or witches job, this excluded the vampires...

"It should sound hollow, which it quite obviously doesn't, we should probably be careful, don't know what's in there... do you want the honours?"

Fred put on a brave face and rolled up the sleeve of his woolly jumper, an old one of the ones they received of their mother every year, and with a determined face shoved his arm through the gap they'd discovered.

He seemed to scrimmage around before seemingly being pulled against it and started yelling at the top of his voice "GEORGE! GEORGE! THEY GOT ME!" He went to jump into action, scared out of his mind about his twin before he quickly twigged onto the fact that Fred was pulling his leg.

Fred was sitting there, his arm still in the gap, his face creased up in laughter, the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"Not funny Fred, not funny..." finishing his sentence early as really George should have seen it coming and it was kind of funny...

Nope, nope don't go there George it wasn't...

Fred looked at him and said "It was just too tempting...I don't think there...actually wait I spoke too soon, I think I feel something, wedged into the corner..."

George held his breath wondering what he'd found, hoping it would be interesting but not really wanting it to be dangerous, as far as he knew all the other people who'd checked over their tents had found nada if they found something it could be a threat that they were some form of targets...

Fred's face lit up, apparently having found something "Got it! It was just a little stuck, hand on a second"

George felt his heart beat harder wanting to know what it was, and why it was there, his curiosity climbing higher and higher...

Finally Fred pulled out what it was that'd been hidden in there, a leather book wrapped in some sort of old cloth?

Was that really what had been hidden in there, with sudden realisation though he remembered what had happened to Ginny when he'd been in his fourth year of school, because of Riddle's diary she'd almost died that day, it was only through Harry's efforts she was still alive and breathing today.

"Maybe we should look into it, just have a look so we don't jump to conclusions..." he spoke first, trailing of slightly but still sticking with his words, they should it could be something completely different and because they were to scared to look at it had missed it.

Taking command he took the book from Fred's hands and flipped it open.

It was a diary, which almost made his blood run cold as he thought back to what had happened, he thumbed through back to the front page where it said _Belonging of Mr Bilious Weasley _in gold italic stitching on a background of dark red leather.

"Huh?"

That definitely hadn't been expected he shuffled over so Fred could understand his reaction.

It was fair to say Fred reacted in a similar way.

"Lets have a quick look through the rest, eh, I'm interested to know what he got up to in his school days..."

"You don't know if its from his school days, for all we know it's from the first war, the one he died in if you don't remember, it might contain important stuff being the reason behind his hiding it..."

"Look, if its for that it probably doesn't matter now, we found it and I'm slightly curious as to what he was like, dad never talks about him as he gets too upset..."

"Fine" Fred replied with a slight sigh, but with a sort of excited look he'd wanted to peak along and George knew it.

They started to read the entries, becoming absorbed into the ramblings of an uncle they never knew, not really noticing everything else until with a gust of wind a photo fluttered out from between the diary pages.

Both went into the motion of picking it up, stopping slightly with a questioning look at each other they took in the peoples faces in the photo.

They turned it around, hoping to get more information of the back of the soft and yellowing photo.

* * *

Draco was bored out of his mind, he'd even spent time talking to the house elves just showing how desperate he was for company, he smirked at that wondering what mugg- no not that he meant mu-mudblood Granger, yes what she'd have said and how she would of attempted to scold him, or maybe slapped him she seemed to have gotten more violent towards the end of last year, feeling a ghost of the pain his cheek had felt after.

after a pace around his room he flopped onto his bed, waiting for something to happen, just anything really that would stop his boredom, a letter from Blaise? or maybe one from Theodore?

He missed them in a way not having really talked to them in a while Theodore's parents had forced the hermit abroad, with a sigh he made a split second decision, he rose from his silk green sheets and stomped over to his mahogany desk, starting a letter on some curling parchment, about to demand a reason behind Blaise's crappy correspondence when a droopy house elf appeared at the door.

"Master Malfoy wants you downstairs sir, in his study, immediately."

With a slight pop the house elf proceeded to disappear, signalling the Draco really should get a move along.

He headed out of is large room and started to walk at a quick pace down the curving marble staircase , he really shouldn't keep his father waiting, that often went downhill quickly.

He turned down the hallway of his complicated house and knocked on his fathers study, though having been called for but not really wanting to interrupt any important work he was doing.

He soon heard his fathers formal and emotionless voice saying "You can enter Draco..."

"Evening Father, why do you need to see me?" he strode over to the chair opposite his fathers, a desk separating them, his father continuing to write furiously in his elegant scrawl while starting his speech with his eyes still on the parchment.

"Draco, you know of what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, do you not?"

He replied with a curt nod, hiding all emotions from his face, but still the screams of pain and marching and fire flashing in front of his eyes, he still didn't flinch when he remembered the screaming agony from one of his fathers new 'allies' victims.

He knew what those allies were, vampires, his father so prideful and mighty, along with the other Death eaters had allied themselves with vampires.

Vampires.

He continued filling with silence with "Yes I remember, why father?"

His father looked at him studying his face, looking for any weaknesses "Well it's of great importance you keep a close eye on that Hermione Granger girl when you head back to Hogwarts, she's important to our future plans you see, I really can't say much more than that, other than we need a close reference to what she's doing and where she's going, she's vital to our plans you see and we need you to keep an eye on her, things are going to get messy in the coming year Draco, and what you tell us could be extremely helpful to our situation."

"Ok, of course father, I know my duty."

His father smiled a tight lipped smile, showing a sign of his stress. This was important, and for some reason Granger was involved and Draco was going to find out why, especially why she was needed by their allies, was it linked to Potter?

"You may leave now Draco, I have further business to attend to." he said gesturing to the door.

"Of course father" With a nod he left the room.

As soon as he was out of there his pace quickened, matching his hearts pace, something big was going to happen, something bigger than rivalry and catfights and Draco wasn't sure he was ready for the storm that was coming...

Running through various ideas in his head he decided that he'd hide behind the curtains just outside the study framing some ancient family portrait of old ancestors of his, all the people were standing stiffly their chins jutted out in a stubborn fashion, silver blonde hair straight and reaching their shoulders, a typical family trait he thought, their stubbornness.

He shook his head critically.

Those painting were exactly the kind of art he loathed, they were so formal and stiff, no natural movement or soft lines, the colouring sombre and morbid, it was so contained and the overall effect was so bland, not striking like they probably wanted it to be.

He'd never told his family of his passion for drawing, and painting, art in general really. He kept all his art supplies hidden, sketching books and loose pieces of parchment most of it in a part of school supplies bookshelves, his parents rarely checked his room out.

His father wouldn't think that very 'masculine' of him though art was seen as aristocratic, something his father always wanted him to strive for was masculinity first and aristocracy second, his father would rather he took up with things such as Quidditch.

It wasn't that he disliked Quidditch, in fact he rather liked it and had become determined to defeat Potter. But he hadn't actually wanted to join the team in his second year the only reason had been his father who just instantly bribed them when he didn't try out first year, assuming he'd just failed instead of not going.

He quickly covered himself, and then he waited. His reasoning behind hiding just outside his fathers study being that his father was obviously just about to receive a visit from one of those new vampire allies, the hints coming from his quick demeanour and underlying signs of stress Draco had become so used this summer.

He settled behind the floor length curtains, impatient for the visitor to arrive, they had to, the signs Draco had read in his father linked back to this answer, this answer and nothing else.

He was rewarded for his waiting just a short fifteen minutes later. His legs starting to ache from staying in the same position, his back straight and rigid not wanting to alert the person with their heels clicking on the wooden floor boards, he didn't dare peek, not just yet anyway, he didn't want the person, probable vampire to know of his presence, then the game would be ruined.

The heavy study door opened, creaking slightly, his father spoke up then in a smooth and welcoming, but hard voice "Hello Darla, how're the plans coming along?"

"Just fine thank you, though I want to go over a few key details, we'll have to rely on your son Draco to get the proper whereabouts of that pesky new slayer Hermione Granger our plan won't work otherwise, he'd better not let us down Lucius." the female vampire, Darla, replied all clearly spoken and professional. With that over they both headed into the study, Draco's heart rate slowing it was unlikely they'd find him now they weren't directly outside the study, inches away from the curtains of his hiding place.

He was so stunned at what he'd just heard, what on earth were they going on about? He shook his head slightly trying to come to terms with the fact they needed him for something dark, something big, most likely in an attempt on Granger's life. What he couldn't understand was why she was so important to them and their plans and what the 'slayer' was exactly, it was obviously a key part in the vampire, Darla's disgust for her.

He continued to listen in on their conversation, but he only caught snippets of it such as "Of course Draco won't let us down, he knows when to play his part. Granger will be disposed of by the end of the year" and "We need her Lucius, she's the key to releasing the Master"

With that last sentence Draco's heart stuttered, he'd been so sure it was to do with Voldemorte even though he was long dead. His father had been hinting for a while about it which he didn't really understand with all the implications of him being DEAD, though his spirit, or technically 'soul' being alive.

Draco knew what had happened in their first year, and their second year. So for all hew knew they could bring him back to life fin him a body or something, maybe part of it was linked to his fathers new alliance with the vampires, this master sounded like their version of Voldemorte. For all Draco knew he could be worse, he felt like his usual routine was already slipping through his fingers...

He needed to start some research, look into who this person, the master was, and more importantly what was this so called slayer that Granger apparently was?

He edged out from behind the murky green curtains and tiptoed down the hallway back up to his room, the first thing he'd do was ask Blaise about it, he had an even bigger library than him and would surely have an idea about what was going on.

Draco knew one thing for definite though and that was that he was going to find out more before he even pondered actually helping his father, he may hate Granger but he didn't want to see her dead.

* * *

Fred and George had taken the diary back with them, hiding it away from the rest of their family.

The photo they'd found had consisted of a young couple, a man with shoulder length ginger hair, light stubble and bright green eyes. He stood tall his arm over a petite young woman with auburn hair a new born baby cradled in her arms, both had huge beaming smiles.

There was no doubt that the man in the picture was their Uncle Bilious but the woman was unknown to them.

Apparently she was called 'Sheila Rosenberg' well that's what the picture stated anyway, and also that the baby was a girl, no name yet.

The photo was dated a year and a bit before Ron was born, in 1979, no specifics though so no clue to a birthday.

After continuing to read it they found out that they had a cousin, there was somebody out there only a year younger than them, their cousin! They needed to find them, this cousin of theirs but that seemed it would be impossible.

They were in America.

Or they had been fifteen years ago, then again their Uncle Bilious also mentioned how he'd told Sheila to stay there unless he returned to say of the war ending. At that point Bilious had though winning was impossible and improbable. he'd prepared for his family unbeknownst to the magical world to be kept safe.

What they didn't understand was how the ministry hadn't been alerted to their presence they could always detect underage magic, there were no magical schools in America as far as they knew...

Then again as their uncle was dead, this woman was left to raise their daughter alone so their mystery cousin wouldn't necessarily be recognised as a Weasley.

They had to change this.

George had packed it into his suitcase, ready to take it with him to Hogwarts, both him and Fred were unsure whether they wanted to reveal this new relative to the rest of their family yet.

They wanted to surprise and delight them, their father would be so ecstatic that his brother had left him a niece!

He drifted of to sleep thinking happy thoughts and of what their cousin could and would be like.

* * *

**Hope you like it! :)**

**Also I can't believe its a Torie government I'm so sad and angry :( What is happening to the UK?!**


	9. School and the journey

**Hey, thanks for reading, a****lso, I do realise that I actually kinda gave away part of the plot.**

**But oh well as I'll find a way to work it in, the important character doesn't know XD **

**Sorry this chapter took so long, I wasn't sure how to start the school off and I also have a lot of exams this year as I'm sitting some a year early.**

**Hogwarts first day of lessons won't be until the next chapter, sorry, today it's the journey there and feast where there'll obviously be an announcement made :) but it is Buffy's first day with some changes :D**

* * *

It was Buffy's first day of school.

At her new high school, Sunnydale High, where she would be a sophomore.

A new sophomore in class where the people already knew eachother and were all already in various friendship groups. Sunnydale was a small place, lots of people having grown up there and never strayed further.

She should probably look on the bright side, especially considering how she already knew people, Willow and Jesse.

Buffy smiled at the memory of their evening together, not the sort of people she used to hang out with but then again she'd been great friends with Pike, and she could tell Willow and Jesse were definitely the sorts of people who stuck up for eachother.

She knew she shouldn't really get close to them, the last time she'd been close to someone, Pike, he'd gotten arrested because of her.

Who knew if she then befriended these welcoming people they could end up dead!

With a shudder which couldn't be helped she pulled on her baby blue cardigan accompanied with a black mini skirt and plain white t-shirt.

She smiled at her reflection, hoping to come across as mature and confident, not as nervous as she felt, who knew when someone from the watchers council might turn up. She'd been thinking of ways she could get out of being the slayer, she just wanted a normal adolescence! She didn't want to have special strength or save the world!

With a shake of her head she quickly checked her appearance in the floor length mirror propped up against cardboard boxes, not having gotten around to un packing everything just yet.

She fluffed up her darkish blonde hair, admiring how her hair looked with her new haircut. It stopped just above her shoulders curling up a little, her fringe positioned well and springy, she grabbed a simple white clip fastening some of her hair behind her ear slightly shaping her oval face a bit more tan if she just had it loose.

She left her room, still fixing up her eyeliner a little, but managing to dodge the cardboard boxes on the landing.

Bounded down the stairs, two at a time, her small black leather handbag swinging on the crook of her arm.

She turned hurriedly into the kitchen not wanting to be late on her first day.

"MOM, Mom I'm ready!" Buffy called loudly hoping to catch her attention.

Her mother looked up from her newspaper a little later, having been too caught up in whatever she'd been reading.

"Yes? Oh you have school don't you, well I'll just get my shoes on and then we can go...one minute" her mother sipped her tea quickly and yanked on her shoes before grabbing her car keys. Ready to drive Buffy to school.

Her mother drove quickly, swerving round corners in a heartbeat. Her mother lecturing her about how to be herself at school all the while.

They soon arrived at her school, Sunnydale High. What a dump.

Sunnydale High seemed rather small compared to her old high school, a bit run down with litter and had some seriously strange scorch marks decorating the side of it. If she looked on the Brightside though it had a big open area with lots of grass and tree's.

With a discontented sigh she slid out of the car, promising her mother to stay out of trouble finishing with a roll of her eyes.

Buffy turned, once her mother's car had left and started to walk up the dirty concrete steps which led to the entrance of the school where she would first meet Principal Flooty to talk about her previous schools. That would be fun.

She walked up the stairs, looking around at all the different faces, hoping to catch somebody who'd smile at her or welcome her, maybe give her a tour of the school. Of course she shouldn't really try to make friends with people, she'd only get them hurt.

That was... if she accepted her duty, she could always quit right?

It was unlikely they'd take that well, maybe they'd kill her themselves to bring about the next slayer, who knew what they'd do.

She hoped she'd see Willow or maybe Jesse, they'd been cool to hang out with, it'd be nice to see them even if they didn't stay friends in the long run.

She walked through the wide open school doors, peering around the corridor all the people chattering and catching up on what went on in their summers. Buffy knew one thing for sure, no one in this school would have faced anywhere near as much drama as she had.

Buffy spotted a stunning girl dressed stylishly, a green patterned crop top and high waisted skinny jeans, her coffee brown hair looking professionally done.

She straightened her back walking up to her slowly.

"Hey! Sorry to bother you I was just wondering where Principal Flooty's office was, could you give me some directions.."

The girl looked at her attire, deemed her worthy to speak to and gave her a completely fake but seemingly welcoming smile and replied "It's alright it's literally just opposite, right by there, you see?" she pointed to a half painted royal blue door, just across from the river of students.

"Yeah, thanks!"

Buffy then headed to his apparent office, knocked once and entered upon hearing a gruff tone say "Come in".

With a sigh as she entered Buffy the small office and pondered how this meeting would go considering her past history.

* * *

Cedric was as excited as could be, his father said there'd be an announcement at the feast tonight in the great hall.

Something he'd apparently be very interested in. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, though one thing he didn't understand was why he couldn't just tell him there and then, it was probably something to do with the ministry that's all he could come up with.

But it wasn't just that fact, but also the possible idea that maybe the speech had something to do with Granger, and he'd find out even though she'd been so adamant he wouldn't!

That would prove her wrong he thought gleefully as him and his parents arrived on the platform.

Once on the station, Cedric looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of his friends, Scott should have been there, or Gabriel, maybe even Anthony who was known for his lateness amongst his group of friends leaving everything until the last possible minute.

Another thing was he was hoping to catch sight of Granger, she'd left rather suddenly soon after her rant at him apparently of to the Weasley's and Potter.

He needed to know she was okay, they had just battled vampires a day or so previously for merlin's sake! How had she recovered so quickly? he could still feel aches and pains now! Him! Somebody who kept fit and pushed themselves daily! How had someone as small as her with nowhere nearly as much strength defeated them and popped back to normal afterwards?

That was another thing after their battle he'd been having dreams of what happened, he just didn't understand her strength and how she persevered, he knew the vampires had been playing with him, but he remembered Granger flat out staking a vampire, not just one but three, even the humongous one almost a foot taller than him and twice as wide!

How had she had the strength?

Had she tricked them or something?

But if she had it was how she'd tricked all of them, one was a little more understandable but three?

He needed to know to stop all the questions non stop running through his head! He couldn't live with all the questions he had at the moment, if he waited too much longer he'd explode!

He ran a hand through his floppy hair, a typical habit of his when he was stressed. His eyes roamed over the crowd full of pupils and parents, not really listening to his parents bubbly chatter, he'd talk to them soon, but right now he had other things on his mind.

He couldn't see anyone he knew, except for that now fifth year Cho Chang who looked at him a superficial smile lighting up her pretty face, as he saw her, the wrong person. He gave a small wave, not wanting to seem impolite and turned back to his parents to say his goodbyes, the train would be arriving soon but he'd excuse himself to look for friends, they'd be wanting to get to work anyway.

He caught their attention. "Bye mum, bye dad, I'll write to you over term okay? I'll tell you all about this so called surprise as well! I still don't understand why you think I'd be so interested in it, but I guess I'll find out soon!"

They hugged their goodbyes his parents promising letters, and cakes. His parents gave one last wave, both with small smile on their faces and disapperated with a popping sound.

With a sigh he pushed his belongings over to a nearby pillar, ready to just lean against it and wait for the train, especially if his friends were nowhere to be seen.

It turned out that this was probably a good idea for Cedric, considering how curious he'd been as to what was going on with Granger, he'd managed to catch the Malfoy's having a rather strange and question popping conversation.

When he first heard the voices his ears only pricked up on the name they uttered, Granger.

He didn't dare look around to see, he didn't want them catching him eaves dropping. He needed to know what they were going on about, it was probably something to do with the fight... maybe they knew more than he did.

"Of course I said I'd keep an eye on Granger father, I did swear didn't I? I still don't understand why it's so important, just seriously why is one mudblood some make or break deal with your allies?" Jnr Malfoy said in a sulky tone, but the way he spoke didn't exactly sound as if he would do what he was meant too.

Strange.

It was only seconds later he could almost feel the spit Jnr Malfoy would be getting sprayed in the face with as he strained his ears and heard the senior Malfoy hiss "Don't be stupid you rude boy, I'm not going to tell you here am I! I've told you all I'm going to tell you anyway! All you need to know is that she is of great importance to our allies, you'll be apart of a huge plan, her death will be very beneficial with our future plans! Don't you want to have a relaxed and happy future Draco? She can't be in the picture if you do!"

And with that final sentence he seemed to change the topic, apparently not wanting to reveal anymore to his son. Deciding to leave without them discovering him Cedric pushed along his trolley, filled with belongings, weaving it through the crowd of people.

He knew one thing for definite and that was Granger was in serious danger. He had to warn her and it had to be now!

Just when he could see her head full of curly mahogany hair the train pulled into the station, people surging forward trying to get the best spots on the train, though he didn't understand why they were pretty much identical.

Though he kept jumping a little of going on his tippy toes, trying to get a better view he lost her in the sea of people, being pulled backwards, after not even being able to spot any of the Weasleys he waited for the station to empty a lot more before getting onto the train.

He had to find Granger, but then again as he was prefect he had to head along to the carriage at the front of the train to meet with the new Head girl and boy, warning Granger would have to wait even though his senses screamed at him to turn around and find her and warn her straight away.

With a sigh he trudged along to the front compartment, hoping this dreary business of duties and whatnot would pass quickly.

Why did he even want to be a prefect?

He couldn't remember a reason behind it now, all his years of trying his hardest, having a go at everything and he wasn't sure exactly why.

He pondered this as he started to quicken his pace hoping the quicker he got there the earlier he could leave.

* * *

That had been the strangest meeting with her new Principal, Principal Flooty.

It had all been so weird, not just his name, because seriously 'Flooty'? Either way Buffy was very sure that most Principals were most definitely not like that, at least she hoped they weren't...

With a shake of her head she tried to forget how he'd ripped up her sheets from her last school but had soon proceeded to stick them back together with sticky tape upon having read on various scraps about the fire in the gym incident. She was hardly able to explain that incident and come away completely blameless could she? She had almost slipped up then. Telling him about the vampires that were there but had managed to cover it up and saying vermin instead.

Upon leaving the office she heaved her handbag up her arm again hoping it would stop sliding down, and turned to head to class, she had History, what a joy!

What she hadn't expected was to suddenly bump into somebody. Somebody tall and lean.

She looked up, the boy smiled down at her, a slightly weird expression on his face, a goofy smile.

She turned, looking to her stuff on the floor and started to put her things back in her bag. The boy also knelt down and started to help her.

She shook her head, about to start an apology when he said, with dark puppy eyes on her face "Can I have you"

Wait, what had he just said?! "I'm sorry!?"

"I meant can I help you" picking up her books and handing them to her a bashful smile on his now blushing face.

"Sure...thanks" not entirely sure how she could respond to that, his awkwardness and just general dorky attitude slightly overwhelming as a first impression...

"Have we met somewhere before?" What?! Who was this guy? There was too much cheesiness and cringe for her to deal with on her first day!

Buffy looked at him like he was a little odd, because seriously 'have we met before'. It was her first day which was probably obvious and noticeable in a small town like this, and now he was pulling the have we met before card? Really?

"Uh no we haven't met, it's my first day and before came here I'd never even heard of Sunnydale..."

"oh ok, anyway see you around, maybe in school, as we both go there..."

"sure..." Buffy then decided to leg it, what was with this place, maybe it wasn't just the Principal, she shook her head, not at all understanding the brains and logic of teenage boys. Pike wouldn't have been like that Buffy thought forlornly feeling rather homesick, he always knew the most infuriating thing to say, some sarcastic or witty remark which before she'd been the slayer had never failed to make her blood boil.

Buffy turned and headed to history, leaving the tall dorky boy holding her stake which she had forgotten. Actually deciding History over him, that really meant something considering her loathing of History, she could just never remember the dates!

She failed to hear him call out in confusion his voice quiet compared to the bustle of the corridors.

Buffy knocked on the door to History, hoping she wouldn't be too late as she hated that she might have to introduce herself to the class. The day had been life draining enough as it was.

"Enter," a stern voice called from the other side and she entered hoping she wouldn't be noticed.

She slipped into a desk next to the same girl she'd asked for directions of earlier.

The lesson continued.

* * *

Hermione wasn't quite as excited as she usually was for the start of school.

She fiddled with a strand of her curly hair, slightly less frizzy than it had last year (Maybe it would start to calm down?!).

What she was worried about was telling her friends, how they would take it, if they would even believe her!

Oliver had been with her at the station, saying his goodbye's but promising he'd be there when the watcher's council turned up. He understood how important it was for her to tell them, how she couldn't keep it hidden from them.

Hermione followed her friends into their usual compartment, bracing herself to tell them. It would be better now as there was Harry and Ron, just the three of them, the golden trio. Ginny wasn't here but then again she wasn't sure yet whether she would tell her. Maybe at some point when they were in their dorm together.

Harry and Ron had settled down and Hermione decided it was best to get it straight out of the way, that way she would know their reactions and would be able to reassure and give them more knowledge without being interrupted by the end of the train journey or something.

"Guys" she started off, hoping to gain their attention so she wouldn't have to repeat herself quite so many times.

They both looked up almost immediately, a chocolate frog half way to Ron's mouth, "Yes 'Mione?" they said practically simultaneously.

"Well I've got something rather important to tell you, I just want you to both promise that you will listen to everything I have to say first without jumping to conclusions and that you can't tell absolutely anyone else about it, ok? Not even Ginny, if I tell her it will be on my terms!"

They both shared a glance curiosity etched on their faces.

Harry was the first to speak "I must say 'Mione now you've got me curious, it's not anything bad is it? Wait! Is it to do with the fight at the World Cup?"

Hermione took a deep breath a little shocked at how close his guess had hit the target "Well, It's not necessarily bad, and yes it did start with the World Cup in a sense..."

Ron wasn't quite sure what it was that was so important and gestured with his hand to continue, he was too busy chewing to say anything that could be understood as English. He didn't look like he thought it was going to amount to much, they could handle it was what was running through his mind, which was fair enough. Having gone through all they had in their short time at Hogwarts.

"Well.." Hermione then checked around, making sure the compartment door was firmly shut and that no one would hear her confession as such.

"You see the thing is... actually never mind, I'm just going to put it bluntly. I'm a vampire slayer"

The reactions were pretty much instantaneous. Ron's jaw dropped wide, his tonsils on show.

Harry just shook his head and said with a scrunched up face "You're a what?!"

Taking a deep breath she tried to explain "I told you, I'm the vampire slayer, I only found out the day before yesterday. After the fight at the Quidditch World Cup... My powers awakened then. I was chosen for this, you see I had no say in it..."

Harry still seemed slightly dazed, but Ron attempted to gather his sense as he had more of an idea, he'd heard the tales as a child, but never known them to be true as they'd been told as bedtime stories, passed on from the Lovegood's. He never took much they said seriously, rather cynical about all they claimed.

Either way she looked at it he was more prepared than Harry was, and actually had some kind of idea what she was rambling on about.

"So what you're saying is the myths about the vampire slayer are real? Loony Lovegood was right? There's a first!"

"...Who's Loony Lovegood? Anyway, Yes, I am the vampire slayer, I have been chosen to slay evil..." she continued not entirely sure how to explain it or what and who he was rabbiting on about.

He waved his hand and said "Just some girl in the year below, I think she's friends with Ginny, either way her family are completely loopy with the stuff they come out with!"

He seemed more preoccupied with the idea that something this 'Loony Lovegood' was actually right rather than the fact that she was the vampire slayer...

Harry having finally caught up with what was going on said "So, 'Mione, this whole vampire slayer thing, you're not going to be in too much trouble are you? I'd hate for you to get hurt! I wouldn't let you get hurt, you have to promise me that if you get into a bad situation you won't sacrifice yourself! I mean it! Promise!"

Hermione jumped from her seat and enveloped him in a hug, trust him to be so caring about it!

"Harry, you know I'm going to have to face evil if I'm the vampire slayer right! I don't want to get you guy's involve-"

Hermione could get no further with her sentence when they both cut her off, Ron saying "You can't stop us from helping you 'Mione, its the three of us together!" and Harry said "Yeah, Hermione we're the three musketeers! We'll help even if you don't want our help!"

Even though having just hugged Harry, she pulled Ron over and both gave them a bear hug, "Thanks guys! I couldn't ask for better friends, but you know if some battles get too dangerous then you can't be there right! You know what happened with Diggory..."

They both sat up rigidly.

Harry started first "What happened with Diggory 'Mione? You never did say but as we now know about you being the slayer I guess we can..? That is only if you want to tell us, if you don't like remembering it then we'll always be there if you want to confide about it. Just when you're ready..."

Ron gave Harry a weird look, his rambling having gotten the better of him.

"No, of course I'll tell you, I may as well, you can then defend me when he comes sticking his nose where it isn't wanted"

Ron raised his eyebrows but then came to his own conclusions about the danger Diggory would be in if he knew. Now he understood.

"He hasn't been at all accepting then?"

"Nope!"

Harry nudged her then, saying "Come on 'Mione are you going to tell us?"

"Oh of course I will, got a bit distracted.."

She sat down then on the opposite seat, wanting to be able to face them when she was talking so she could see their expressions.

"You know how there were Death eaters at the Quidditch World Cup right? Well there wasn't just Death eaters, there were vampires as well."

She paused for a moment, wanting to see how they reacted. They took it rather well to be fair only starting slightly as they had been there when se spotted them, but had probably thought it a mistake of some sorts as they had been in a panicked situation.

"You know how we'd been running. How I then lost you when I tripped, well, Diggory found me. Making some stupid remark as well... It wasn't too long after he'd found me and been basically shouting out where we were that they found us. The vampires jumped out on us."

That was when she saw them start to react, like a potion with a newly added ingredient. Ron stuttered a little, and Harry turned a pale shade of mint green.

"They took us by surprise, which wasn't very hard for them considering how Diggory covered every other sound in the area with his rambling... It turned into a fight basically, I ran at a vampire first, running at them and surprisingly brought them down. Which is now less of a surprise when you take into account how I had literally just come into my powers a day or so previously. I took down that vampire, quickly staked another, the leader left... I still don't know what happened to that one... and then, then I saw how the huge vampire, seriously, the vampire was almost seven foot! Well anyway the vampire was playing with Diggory, mocking him, saw me quite literally drop kicked Diggory who I thought was dead... I then fought with him, managing to kill him somehow, I was trying to avenge Diggory. Though obviously he isn't actually dead..."

They were both looking at her Hermione realised as she trailed off.

Their eyes were like saucers, she thought comically.

Harry made his jaw start working again and said with curiosity clear in his voice "What happened after that, something must've as you didn't come until late the next day... Who helped you?"

"Oh! Sorry, I almost forgot about that part, well, I was pretty much exhausted as to be fair it was my first battle ever and I had gone up against a very strong vampire, I saw Oliver, Aberforth and Dumbledore just before I blacked out and they took us to Aberforth's house in Hogsmeade so we could recover. When I was rudely awoken by Diggory he started to question me almost instantly. I shut him up and then they all came into the room, there were some introductions as Diggory didn't know Aberforth, then Aberforth and Oliver told me all about being the slayer and I then came back to yours..."

They both looked a little shell shocked about her fighting three vampires so she decided it was probably a good time to have a little wander, maybe go and talk to Neville, just give them some time to let it sink in.

"Guys?" they both looked up, "I'm just going to go have a little stroll, ok? Maybe get something from the trolley..."

She then headed out going to see who were in the various compartments, hoping to see a familiar face.

* * *

After History Buffy let out a relieved sigh. God she hated History! It was her worst subject out of everything, even Physics!

She strolled out of class along side the girl, the girl who looked suspiciously like the queen bee of their year.

Either way she decided to introduce herself, pondering the idea of making friends. "Hi, I'm Buffy!"

The girl grinned a blinding smile back "I'm Cordelia, I'm guessing you're new here. Anyway I'd suggest picking up these books in the library yeah?" She pointed to the list she'd written for her, and handed it to her.

"Thanks! Well I guess I'll see you later?"

Cordelia flashed another smile on her flawless face and replied saying "Yeah, we can meet later at lunch after I've talked to Principal Flooty that is."

They were walking along the corridor about to split when they paused at the water fountain. Waiting to take a drink, Buffy looked curiously at the curtain of red hair in front of her. She recognised that hair from somewhere...

"Willow, that's a nice dress" Buffy heard Cordelia say in her nasal voice, looking Willow up and down in her checkered attire, saying it as she meant the exact opposite.

Willow naively replied with a confused tone in her voice "Why thank you, my mom bought it for me..."

Cordelia feigned a look of surprise, "Well no wonder you're such a boy magnet!" she said while finishing with a pat on the shoulder.

"What?" a bewildered Willow asked, not really following...

"Move!" Cordelia barked quickly, having lost any patience.

Willow proceeded to give Buffy a small and miserable but confusingly understanding nod wandering off down the hallway.

Cordelia drank from the fountain and said to Buffy "When you've been here for longer you'll get to know the losers by sight, that way it'll be much easier to avoid them."

After finishing her drink Cordelia said to Buffy "So if you're not to swamped with all the work you can come down to the Bronze, it's the club in town"

Buffy decided she'd try to leave it here. She was not going to be sucked into popular world again!

"Oh and where's that?"

"About half a block from the good part town, we don't have a whole lot of town around here! Anyway I'll catch you later?"

With those final words they went their separate ways, Buffy heading to the library to pick up some book for class.

The library was definitely grander than the last one, she remembered her battle in the summer with all the death and that powerful stranger helping her.

She still didn't know who they were, she hadn't seen them since and was starting to wonder if they'd been a hallucination or something. The paramedics hadn't mentioned anyone else being at the scene.

She poked her head around the door and trudged over to the desk, dinging a bell on the surface, wondering where the librarian was.

Suddenly a head popped up from behind the desk.

"Wow, you scared me"

"Oh, Hello was there anything in particular you were looking for?"

"Well, I'm the new kid Buffy you see and I'll be needing-"

She never finished because his face lit up in a strange way and he yanked out an ancient book that had 'VAMPYR' written in huge stitched on letters.

Buffy went ashen.

"No, that is most definitely NOT what I'm looking for!"

He started to apologise but Buffy had already turned and stormed out of the library like a bat out of hell.

* * *

No sooner than she'd stepped away from the trolley her arm was almost yanked from the sockets.

Her attacker proceeded to drag her into an empty compartment, shutting the sliding door behind them.

As her attacker let her go, she suddenly remembered her new strength, and the fact that she was a witch, but to be honest she wanted to know who it was and their reasoning behind I before initiating any kind of fight.

The person, tall and lean most likely boy from the build, hopefully nothing sinister. That would be hell considering all the students on the train and how she had't been trined yet exactly, it had been on instinct.

They turned, slowly like they were suddenly unsure grabbing and dragging her into an empty compartment had been the best idea.

One person she could rule out was Malfoy, he had a smaller build than that, his hair much lighter. One thing she knew was that they obviously didn't know her very well,anyone who did wouldn't drag her away, they knew she'd hit them with a some kind of jinx or that they could literally just ask her.

Once she saw their face, it dawned on her. Really it should have been obvious.

It was Diggory.

"You!"

He looked slightly taken aback at the venom in her voice.

"Urm, Yes it's me, I need to warn you about something, you really nee-"

Hermione cut him off. She'd had enough, she'd already told him that the less he knew the better. But had Diggory listened? No.

"I don't want to hear it! I already told you I wasn't going to say, the less you know the better!"

"Granger I'm trying to help you! I overheard-" but he could get no further than that, as Hermione jumped to conclusions...

"You have no idea what you are talking about! I already told you to keep your nose out and I meant it!" with those final words Hermione tried to flounce out of the compartment but Diggory pulled her back, pulling harder than he thought and she was almost thrown against his chest but she quickly recovered, ignoring his flushed cheeks and wild eyes.

She didn't understand and didn't mean too.

"I mean it Diggory, don't cross me!"

He obviously didn't understand the concept as he tried to call out accidently starting of with "Her-" Hermione promptly kicked him in the balls leaving before she could even hear him groan in pain. She started to head back to her friends, but soon realised the train had come to a halt.

It was empty.

* * *

**The next part of the first day will be in another chapter as I decided this was the best way to split them!**

**Also**

**Any ideas for what I could change the title too?**

**At the moment all I can think of is 'New Worlds' or 'Entwined Paths' maybe the first could be this story and the other for the next one?**

**Opinions needed! :)**

**Thanks for the review AliceEnchanted your constructive criticism is most welcome :)**


	10. Part Two of the First day and the Feast

**Hey! Thanks for reviewing :) These character's belong to Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. Another thing, any complaints about changing the title to Entwined paths? It wouldn't confuse anyone would it?**

* * *

Draco was waiting just outside the train, after his father had told him to keep an eye on Granger he vowed he would. But, just because he vowed he would didn't necessarily mean that he would tell his father everything.

Draco was going to come to his own conclusions, he was getting into something bigger than he was used and he wanted to know what was going on. He wasn't going to head in blind to his opponents.

He was just standing there with his luggage, apparently they had to wait for the last of the students to arrive before leaving. The Weasley twins were on the station already, their heads bent over a book of some sorts, always up to some kind of mischievous. Draco didn't trust them but they didn't seem like they planning a joke they seemed to be rather serious, and their facial expressions frustrated.

With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair, the only reason he'd pulled back from his friends was because of Granger and she wasn't even here. But she had to be, he had seen Potty and Weasel leave early wondering where she was, therefore she had to still be on the train.

Draco couldn't go back on the train to look though, he had to keep an eye on her but he couldn't take an interest in her or show any difference in how he treated her. Now that would be suspicious.

About to give up on all that when he felt his stomach grumble, hungry from waiting, eager to be in the great hall at the feast. At this rate they'd miss the sorting! Draco never missed it, like Potty always missed it. Now it would be swapped around.

He was about to let out another sigh when Granger stomped out onto the platform, a ferocious glare marring her face. Hazel eyes sparkling dangerously, bringing out all the different colours in her eyes. As if to back up her ferocity and unusual anger Diggory stumbled out soon after her, pain evident from his groans and mumblings about how rude it was of her to kick him in the balls especially when he'd been trying to warn her? He couldn't be entirely sure but that was the only thing that made any sense...

The strange part about that was though was that Diggory shut up as soon as he laid eyes on him. Paling slightly. That wasn't a good sign, a passing thought of Draco's was how maybe he'd overheard his father talking about Granger on the platform. That couldn't be true though, also though everyone knew who Granger was he didn't actually know her did he?

The train seemed to jump to life and sped of and away from the platform, leaving them standing there and dragging Draco back to reality.

Diggory was the one who seemed most confused, extremely unsure what to do as no one was being exactly proactive about their situation, there was still one carriage but it was more that they were just too wrapped up in whatever it was they were doing.

The twins in the strange book, Granger just fuming her arms crossed, and Draco was just standing there he just wanted to see how the situation would unfold.

But maybe somebody should take some form of action, if nobody else was going to step up he would have too.

With a sigh Draco strutted over to the carriage slowly sitting down, keeping his head high and in the opposite direction to the others. They could find their own answer when they bothered to get out of their own stew.

He changed his mind wanting to see when they actually came to reality.

Draco then said in a loud and haughty voice "Are you coming then? or do you want me to leave without you?".

Diggory was the first to look up, his eyes a little wide at first thinking that Draco would just leave them there which made Draco smirk even more however tempting that would be for him they would still end up at Hogwarts within the hour. Somebody would realise they were missing.

Diggory nudged Granger who was still just standing there staring into space, as soon as he nudged her though she jumped immediately going into action and striding over here, grabbing the twins along the way.

Diggory trotted a little, trying to catch up. It was pathetic really, Diggory had no backbone, he had no leadership and was just getting others to do things. Draco shook his head thinking that the hat sure knew what it was doing when he didn't place Diggory in Slytherin.

They all seemed to sit down as far away from Draco as they could get. Except Granger that is, who sat on the same side but as far away as possible. Like he had some kind of disease they didn't want. It looked as if she was attempting to sit as far away as she could from Diggory.

Draco narrowed his eyes, his brain already rushing in motion wondering what had happened on the train to hold her up. What was it Diggory knew, was it something to do with the reason his father wanted and 'needed' her? Draco decided he definitely needed to keep an eye on her more carefully than he thought. It seemed Granger wasn't just going to be facing danger from Potters adventures, they were surrounding her.

If he actually cared about the mudblood in any way he'd feel obliged to protect her.

But then again she was the reason behind his world changing. She was apart of that, messing with his normalities.

He shook his head he didn't really know. Everything running through his head was just too confusing and he was going to find out more about the situation before running in like a Gryffindor. He was going to be smart about this. Decide the best way for him to proceed and which side he actually believed.

For one of the first times Draco wasn't actually sure about what his father was planning. Like with the Quidditch World Cup. He'd found out about that a few days earlier, being more immaturely worried about his father was messing with a fun hobby of his.

Taking away what he clung to as normalities in life. Things were going to change.

Shaking away from his thoughts he turned to see what the others were doing.

The twin's were still talking animatedly about the book, but Granger was participating now, a seemingly excited expression on her face, mouth wide open and chatting at over a hundred miles an hour. It was obviously she cared deeply about. She had to be, she was showing her beaver like teeth. Even someone who cared as little for her huge teeth as her she would surely be self conscious of them?

Without anything better to do Draco continued to watch them in their conversation, observing Granger, wondering what sort of things would help him learn about the whole of the situation. If there were any little giveaways...

He was just sitting there watching, the carriage bumping and bumbling along when he could swear he felt a pair of eyes burning holes in him. Turning Draco saw who it was. Who he should of known it would be but hadn't considered it was Diggory.

Diggory was piercing him with some kind of look. Iron grey eyes locked on his pale silvery eyes.

Draco was surprised at first, he had expected to be met with Potters eyes or maybe one of the Weasley's, Longbottom at the bottom of the pile.

But Diggory?

There was a surprise, something had definitely gone on there. Diggory couldn't keep his eye from roaming to Granger every ten seconds or so, swapping between looking at him, probably because he was suspicious as to why Draco kept staring at the bushy haired bookworm.

Draco conjured up a list of possibilities in his head, of when Diggory and Granger could have spent anytime with eachother at all. So far though all he could think of was talking on the train or the Quidditch World Cup, his father had mentioned how his allies had tried to get her then but killed a school boy instead. Maybe it had been his friend and Granger had been there at the time, and he had asked questions on the train, not happy with her answers. Not trusting her.

Hufflepuff's were incredibly loyal and it was likely he'd do something of the sort. Which would also make sense when Draco took into consideration how Diggory kept staring at him. The son of someone many considered a death eater. He might be blaming him.

With a nod Draco was fairly happy with his theory.

He didn't really get time to come up with any more theories though as they arrived at school and Granger said in a cold tone "We're here..."

She stepped of with the twins, leaving Draco and somehow hurt Diggory to sort themselves out.

What a strange pair. Actually what a strange group of people that had been. The jokers, the bookworm, the pretty boy and coldness himself. Many would have found them a rather amusing bunch, Draco thought while chuckling aloud, he started to swagger off.

Leaving Diggory alone and deciding to keep an eye on Grangers distant moving form, wondering what it was that had changed between last term and the start of this school year.

He would figure it out eventually. He had too, apparently many things depended on it. One thing was that Draco had to decide which he believed he couldn't just take the easy way out because as far as he could interpret lives depended on it.

* * *

Buffy hated those watchers! Who did they think they were!? This was her first day, she wanted to be able to have a normal first day, without any of their wackiness and ideas of training.

She stormed across to the grassy area where most of the students hung out and ate their lunch.

Buffy was sure she could just about spy a redheaded girl, with a gangly build sitting and eating by herself on the white concrete wall which didn't really serve much of a purpose as far as she could see.

Buffy walked over to her, guessing the mystery person was Willow, well hoping they were Willow. She was right. Buffy bounded over a bit happier than she would have been, she had somebody to talk too. Buffy also felt the need to apologise after what Cordelia had said and acted like to her.

"Hey!" Buffy said in her best attempt at a perky voice.

Willow looked up obviously not expecting buffy, probably waiting Jesse and that other boy she mentioned...Xander?

"Oh, Hi.." She said not really wanting to talk to her apparently, even after the evening they had spent hanging out.

She then looked like she understood and continued to say "Did you want me to move?"

Buffy frowned a little at that, did Willow really think that she was just going to push her of to the side when she had welcomed her when she didn't need too?

"Uh no I was wondering if I could sit with you, maybe be friends." Buffy finished rather awkwardly.

Willow looked quite confused at that, as if she'd misheard her.

"Wait did you just say friends with me?"

"Uh yeah." Buffy then decided it was best if she just sat down, she wasn't sure they'd get anywhere otherwise, they'd probably just go in a huge circle.

"Well I suppose you can sit with me..." Willow said rather grudgingly when she saw Buffy making herself comfortable.

Buffy struck up conversation trying to ease the awkwardness of the conversation, pulling out her lunch she ventured into the unknown "So, I heard you are the person to get caught up with?"

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely the person, though I thought you were friends with Cordelia?"

Back on that path.

"Can't I be friends with both of you?" Seeing if she could take the easy path without difficulty...

"Not legally." Apparently not.

"Well Cordelia has been nice-" Buffy stopped then with a frown "To me anyway... But I have this burning desire to pass my classes and I don't think she'll help that."

"Well if you want to get an early start on things we could head to the library after school ends, we just got this new librarian he's really awesome. He has all these ancient books-"

"Uh maybe not the library too loud, I mean it gives me the willies, not that its too loud. Of course it isn't its the library..."

"Oh it does that to a lot of people, somewhere else then?"

"Sure"

As soon as Buffy had finished her sentence two people had bounded up to her and Willow.

Grins on their faces.

The two new comers appeared to be Jesse and maybe the person Willow had mentioned, Xander? It was the boy who asked if they could have her! She recognised them, and apparently they recognised her as well as they turned a brilliant beetroot red colour.

"Hey Willow" He said.

Willow nodded at him with a smile and she said "This is Buffy, Buffy this is Xander, you remember Jesse right?"

But before Jesse could say anything the boy, Xander, decided he just had to put his foot in it "Oh! Of course I know Buffy, we used to be like this-" He said crossing his fingers-"But that was before our estrangement, but then was also when we were both growing as people and now her we are, me and my good friend Buffy.."

He'd put his face in his hands almost as soon as he finished.

"Wow, you just had to put your foot in it didn't you" Jesse said cheerfully while sitting at their feet.

"Of course" he replied.

"Oh! And before I forget I think I have your stick?" Xander said handing Buffy her stake. She froze for a second, wondering how he had it. She soon came to the conclusion of the tripping in the hallway.

She took it from him quickly while Xander joked a little "All I can think is that you're building a really little fence...seriously what is it for?"

"Oh these were all the rage in Vegas, Pepper spray is just so passé.."

They all decided to nod unconvincingly, and at that obviously perfect moment to put the cherry on the cake Cordelia turned up followed by one of her lackeys.

"Oh you won't be meeting Mrs Foster, the woman with the chest hair because of the extreme dead guy in the locker!" Cordelia finished dramatically, arms waving everywhere.

"The dead guy in the locker? What dead guy in the locker?" Buffy asked, her sense heightening as she felt like she could hear everything surrounding her.

"Good question." Willow said.

"Wait a second" Cordelia said.

"Why are you hanging around these losers?" she finished with even more arm actions.

"Oh" Xander said intelligently.

"We're just sitting near her, we're not hanging out" Jesse finished up saving Xander some humiliation.

Cordelia decided not to question it "Ok, well I hope its not you climbing down the social ladder.."

"how did they die?" Buffy asked, hoping to be able to fish for some more information.

"Yeah! Also Cordelia you know if you need a shoulder to cry on...or even just to nibble on I'm there for you." Jesse said, sticking his chest out a little and putting an arm around her shoulder. Cordelia soon pushed his arm off trying not to touch it as if his arm might have some kind of disease.

"Morbid much! I didn't ask!" Cordelia said not entirely sure she wanted to stay near the lowlifes much longer.

"Well guys I gotta book, see you later..." Buffy said while grabbing her things and shoving them in her bag, she had a few questions to ask.

She knew where she was heading.

* * *

Hermione felt a lot more happy after the journey which had started off as awkward especially with Diggory and Malfoy, not a good mix. The twins had made up for it though a new mystery which would be thrilling!

The twins had found a diary, a diary of their Uncle Bilious's on their fathers side-Mr Bilious Weasley.

It wasn't that though which she was quite so excited about. It was the mystery, because George and Fred had also found a photo, a muggle photo, one that didn't move, of their young Uncle Bilious standing with a woman and a new born baby in 1979.

The Weasley's had a cousin! Another cousin!

George made pace with Hermione bringing her back to reality "There is a catch though-"

Fred continued "Yeah, we know the baby and the mother are in America but..."

Hermione clicked her fingers as if realising something "The baby hasn't yet been noted as a witch or wizard? No accidental magic has popped up to the ministry-"

"That's what we want to find out..." George finished.

"Wait!" Fred said.

"They would have to be somewhere that masks peoples magical aura. Which would also mask accidental magic!"

Hermione grinned at Fred saying "Your a genius! If you think I'm sticking my nose into your business than please say, but I'll have a look in the library I'm sure there's something"

"Of course we want your help Hermione!" they said in unison.

"You helped me brainstorm that part! Anyway we'll have to"

"Tell Ron, it would be unfair that you knew and he didn't, but we want to surprise the rest of the family!"

"One thing is that if you tell Ron.."

"We'll have to tell Ginny" Fred finished for George.

George just shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner "The important part is that mum and dad don't know it has to be a surprise for them, a gift!"

With that they entered the great hall, everyone already sat down and the sorting having already happened.

Hermione sat down joining Harry and Ron who had saved her a seat, Hermione swore she could see the questions already forming in their mouths.

"Sorry I'm late guys, I promise I'll tell you what's going on ok? Has Dumbledore said the speech about something important happening this year yet?" she trailed of not entirely sure how to say it...

But she obviously rung a bell as Harry jumped and said "Oh! Yeah that, well Dumbledore knew that some of you had not arrived yet and was waiting until everyone was here... He'll say it at the end of the feast, because somehow we'll enjoy the feast more if we don't know...well that's what he implied..."

"Hmm that's strange, I really have no idea what it could be, what about you two, any ideas?"

Ron just shrugged, more interested in finishing his food quickly so he could hear the speech. Harry seemed even more confused than her and just said "No, absolutely no idea, apparently its some kind of old tradition so its more likely old wizarding families would know..."

Hermione wracked her brains for anything that she'd looked up in the library but came up with nothing. Everything she thought of had been banned a long time ago.

Just at that point though the twins slid in near them, a grin on their faces at the news they were going to tell Ron and Ginny who had come along with them. They were going to tell them now!? With all these people around?!

She didn't want to say anything though, alert them so to say. She thought it wasn't necessarily right that she knew before the others... it was about their relative not hers. Hermione couldn't help that she knew though so the most she could do was just pretend that she didn't?

Yes that's what she would do!

The twins and Ginny sat down, room already having been made for them.

"Hi guys!" George said cheerfully sparing Hermione a wink as she knew what was to come.

"We've got something to tell you-" Fred continued.

"Yes we do, it's about our-"

"Uncle Bilious-"

However it wasn't George who continued at this point, Ron had something of his own to say "What? You mean the one I got my middle name from?"

George and Fred shared a look at their brothers brains.

Ginny answered for them with a sigh "Yes Ronald"

Ron just continued to shovel food onto his plate and said "Well continue then!" while gesturing with his fork.

Fred started up again, "As we were saying before we were rudely interrupted...was that we found his diary, Uncle Bilious's that is-"

"and what we discovered is really quite exciting, right Gred?"

"Yes it is Forge-" he replied.

"We have a cousin!" they finished in a sing song unison.

The reactions were instant, different to Hermione telling Harry and Ron about being the slayer, she still had to have another chat with them about it. Ginny's jaw dropped showing her pearly teeth and Ron choked on his pumpkin juice spraying a little bit of it, Harry just smiled broadly thinking it an amazing discovery and Hermione, who in her opinion should win some kind of actors award beamed a magnificent smile and said "Oh congratulations!"

"Well we thought you and Harry should know as we want you too to be apart of the investigation, that is if its ok with you two, Ron? Ginny?" Fred spoke for George who was too busy patting Ron on the back.

They both looked up Ginny flushing when looking at Harry, she gave a small nod and mumbled a "Of course!" and Ron fist bumped with Harry and Hermione saying "They have to help. It would be a lot harder without our resident brainiac wouldn't it?"

Things were looking up this year!

They calmed down a little eating their food and chatting about this new adventure of theirs. How they'd be able to surprise Mr and Mrs Weasley with this great piece of news. They would start research as soon as possible of course.

* * *

Buffy's new watcher, Giles, hadn't been much for sharing she thought grimly. He hadn't seemed all the knowledgeable either especially with how vampires rise in the first place. She was sure he would get better as time went on, that is if Buffy didn't retire. If she could retire, maybe they'd kill her to get the next slayer...

As she said that, she almost dropped the clothing she was holding, a slinky black dress, she didn't know what they'd do. Buffy didn't know whether she could trust them.

With a shake of her head Buffy tried to forget what she'd just been thinking. Determined to have at least a little bit of fun, she pulled up the slinky dress and compared it to her pale floor length skirt and flowery shirt, unsure which to pick, not knowing what sort of thing people were into here in Sunnydale. You never knew how styles preferences changed in different places.

With a sigh Buffy decided against both numbers just changing her plain tight mini skirt to one with a colourful Aztec pattern.

Buffy headed out of the house, her target to reach this place, the 'Bronze' without getting seriously lost. It would be shameful in a sense with how small the area was. Then again she could just wander around, sightseeing. Just seeing what the place was like, maybe stake a few vampires along the way.

She tucked her stake into her knee high black boots with small heels. Her favourites. Buffy could easily fight vampires in these and look fashionable at the same time. They were perfect!

Buffy pounded down the stairs and left the house quickly yelling "I'll be back later!" deliberately leaving out a time in case she ran into anything. It wasn't like her mom expected her to be punctual.

Upon leaving the house Buffy noticed something eerie, she'd been walking for a little while now, apparently close to the wanted destination, The Bronze. She felt as if she was being followed. Instead of feeling worried, nervous or anxious as she probably would have a year or so earlier she swallowed down any ill feeling and started to think where she would sort out this little problem. Buffy was assuming her senses were right because she had never been wrong before. Her gut instinct always proven right.

The settings around her would prove useful in a fight. That is if it came to an actual fight. It might not be a vampire, unlikely to be a demon, they weren't really the creeping around sort. They left that to the vampires. Her stalker could be human. She didn't know what the people were like here, for all Buffy knew it could be a classmate, or maybe someone just heading in the same direction as her.

But Buffy's sense had never been wrong before. Her gut was telling her something was off, suddenly spiking in a warning of something coming.

She went into auto drive, flipping around a pole across the alleyway, convenient.

The person, her follower as such fell flat on their back.

Buffy approached them slowly, quickly getting her stake out of her boot. Keeping it in her hand poised if her new friend happened to be a vampire.

The attacker looked up at her, their faces partially in the shadows, making their face more angular with the grey slices across it. The attacker, a tall young man with dark mahogany hair and dark brooding eyes, upped and dusted their jeans. Their flooring not having bothered them as much as she would have liked.

"So you're the slayer. Thought you would be taller, or maybe more muscular..." He said as an introduction, trying to shake her hand but dropping his arm as he realised she was going to leave him hanging.

"How do you know that? Who are you?"

"Well lets just say I'm a friend" He said, his eyebrows raised.

Now that annoyed Buffy, who was he to follow her acknowledge her as the slayer but be so cryptic. Must be something to do with her new watcher, Giles or whatever his name was.

"Maybe I don't want a friend!"

"Who said I was your friend?"

"Hmph" He was mightily irritating her now.

Buffy went to leave, sliding her stake back into her boot, but he didn't know how quickly she could react if he turned on her now.

"Wait!"

"What now!" He really was wearing on her patience now. If he had something to say he could just say it instead of teasing her. Infuriating her.

"Well, I just want to say that something's coming. Something big. They're planning for the Harvest, watch out little slayer girl. There are plans much bigger than you can imagine. Don't underestimate them this is different to any battle you've fought before.." and with those final words he left but not before throwing her a small black velvet box.

Inside the box was a silver cross on an elegant chain. Really? An _elegant_ chain! She was the slayer, she could hardly afford to have something as fragile and breakable as this!

With a shake of her head Buffy turned the corner, box still in hand, she headed over to some sort of warehouse that had an old sign with flashing lights and the words 'The Bronze' on it.

She walked through the door, wandering around hoping to bump into somebody she knew.

* * *

The feast was dwindling a little now, most people having had their fill so Dumbledore had decided to give his speech, the one he had missed out earlier, as Cedric and some of the other students, the Weasley twins, Granger, and Malfoy had been a lot slower getting to school. Arriving on the last carriage.

Dumbledore tapped his wand on a glass, getting everyone's attention. Including that new Professor, Moody his friends had told him, Mad Eye Moody. He had a most strange magical eye, darting everywhere. Cedric wasn't entirely sure but he felt on the edge with him around. Even though e was a great auror. There was something not quite right.

"Can I have you attention everybody?" Dumbledore continued, the Slytherins who had been trying to ignore him now looking up.

"Thank you, I wanted to obviously say welcome back to Hogwarts! One thing that will be different about this year though is a special competition..." He let that hang in the air for about a minute, waiting for the chattering to start before continuing on, no doubt bursting peoples bubbles.

Cedric had been right. But seriously though, a competition, what kind of competition and was this what his dad had been referring too?

"QUIET! As I said we will be having a special competition, one that has not been held for hundreds of years. We will be the hosting school to the Tri-wizard Tournament! It will be dangerous though, lives have been lost in this so called game, the third challenge probably being the most terrifying thing you've gone against in your life. That is why there will be an age limit of being over seventeen to enter."

He obviously hadn't finished tough. As where were these people from other schools? There also had to be a way of deciding a contestant.

"I would like it if I could continue with my speech... Well! I bet some of you are wondering where these other schools pupils are, how you get in, or a better way of saying it, how you are chosen... well to be quite frank I'm not really allowed to tell you all the other details until the other schools arrive, which will be on the first of October,. Then your curiosity will be quenched!" and with those final words Dumbledore uttered another welcome back and hope you have a good year before promptly leaving the great hall his robes billowing behind him as he went.

Cedric turned to his friends, whose faces were strangely alight "You'll be seventeen then Ced! Thinking of applying? The rest of us won't be old enough, think how cool it would be if there was a contestant from Hufflepuff. We could prove the other houses wrong!" His close friend Anthony said excitedly, rushing his words like Cedric knew he did when he had something on his mind.

"Oh No, oh no, no, NO! No way am I entering the Tri-wizard Cup! Do you know how many people died in that back in the day?!" Cedric said his frantic feeling edging into his words, thinking up scary situations he could end up in. He wasn't up to that sort of thing. His friends were about to reply when he turned and saw something that made his heart drop right down to his feet.

Bad choice to say have said that.

Apparently Heidi McAvoy was behind him, she loathed Cedric with a passion. He'd dated her bestie, Miranda, which she didn't take too kindly considering he'd turned her down not too long before. She had hated him even more when he had broken up with Miranda, his ex as of half way through last year, and her best friend.

"Scared are you? Pretty boy Diggory can't cope? Thought you would be wiling to go up for it considering the size of your growing ego!" Heidi said scathingly. His friends, well his so called friends did little to back him up, apparently shocked by the scene playing out in front of them. Apart from Anthony that is, who immediately piped up "He doesn't have too if he doesn't want to! If you're so big about it why don't you enter, your a seventh year! You've learnt more than Ced we're in sixth year." Thank Merlin for Anthony. He could look at the situation clearly. His other friends also started to pipe up then, saying how he didn't need to prove anything to her.

Hufflepuff's were loyal to their friends. They stuck up for each other in bad situations. In this case that wasn't all good as Miranda and another girl, Cedric thought her name might have been Emily or something along the lines of that flocked to Heidi, standing either side of her. Ready to back her up.

Miranda, a fairly pretty girl with an oval face, light freckles and wavy strawberry blonde hair, and she had her dark brown eyes narrowed at him, calculating a plan. Generic to the Slytherins standards and stereotypes. Her house. Cedric wasn't big on house rivalry, Hufflepuff tried to stay neutral, it was the other houses that hated on them. Slytherin included. But Miranda had looked past that, mainly because of his popularity, Cedric thought back bitterly. It hadn't ended well between the two.

As soon as Miranda opened her mouth he knew what was coming "I've got an idea why don't you both go up for the competition, that way we'll see whose stronger, the Tri-wizard tournament picks its opponents... who ever is picked is the better person, if neither of you are picked. You could always settle with a duel..." She finished up, smiling wickedly, eyes sparkling scarily, hands laced together hanging demurely at her front.

Cedric was cornered.

Though they were fair enough terms it was just the general situation, why did they go out of their way to try and get at him? Yeah he knew what had happened, but that didn't mean they had to take it out of context!

If he thought about it for long enough though he hated how nobody thought of him as anything more than an amiable popular pretty boy, good enough brains to go along with that.

He would prove them wrong. He was more than just that, he wasn't some sort of pin up!

Cedric stood up, shoulders straight, head held high. "I agree with those terms, that is if your willing McAvoy" he said to her coolly, Miranda's smirk faltering a little. She hadn't thought Cedric would take up the deal.

He'd changed since he had broken up with her. Not just in that time but the fight at the Quidditch World Cup had changed him. He needed to prove something to himself, and he had just realised that this tournament or whatever was the prefect way to do so.

McAvoy appeared to be a little annoyed that he thought she wouldn't standing straighter, swishing her sleek black hair to the side, "Of course I accept the challenge!" she finished scornfully holding out her hand to shake on it. "No oath needed?" She asked perfectly plucked eyebrows raised. Trying t o intimidate him.

"Only if you're not confident that you will fulfil the deal?"

Well played.

She started to blush, eyes simmering with anger, sputtering a bit. Adding to the effect.

"Why..You! UURGH!" With a little stomp and another swish of her hair McAvoy stomped off, Miranda and the other girl in tow. Hair swishing from side to side in unison, splitting nearer the end of the table, heading to their different house, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Well their group was certainly a mixture. Not many had close friendships outside of houses.

Cedric turned to his friends, grinning like a Cheshire cat from that muggle tale. His friends were sitting their, supporting each other while they continually laughed, not stopping, tears in their eyes and cheeks flushed. It seemed that Scott may have spat his pumpkin juice out at some point. Did they really find this situation so funny?

Gabriel was the first to recover, flicking his almond coloured curly locks over his shoulder in the way girls fawned over. "Well, this will be interesting to watch."

Was that really all he had to say?

Raising his eyebrows Cedric replied "You have anything more helpful to say? They do know more than me. They are seventh years..."

Gabriel's face darkened a smidgen, but Cedric could still see the amusement in his eyes, Gabriel was definitely easily amused, always the first to crack up laughing in any situation. Making him extremely un popular with Professor Snape. It was fair to say they had many detentions related to it.

"Sorry, you're right, you want me to help you look up some spells? I think-HAHAHAHAHAHA-only you..." he said before cracking up again at his dead panned face.

It finally dawned on him what he had just entered into, sure he'd realised it was kinda serious with Gabriel, but part of that had been a joke.

He was entering a competition where people could DIE, and for what?

In a way it seemed like Cedric was entering because some girls had bullied him. But in some ways it went deeper than that, his reputation, his parents, and if he looked deep enough in the backs of his mind Cedric would realise it had something to do with a particular curly haired Gryffindor witch.

* * *

Buffy didn't find anyone. Not Willow, not Jesse, and not Xander.

Sighing Buffy headed over to an area with a long table and several chairs, there were already some people sitting there, just chatting idly it seemed.

Buffy sat down in one of the chairs, a little away from the other groups of teenagers. She just sat there wondering if anyone would actually talk to her, maybe even that girl Cordelia, or her ditzy friend Harmony.

It wasn't long though before a tall ginger girl sat beside her. Buffy turned then saying "Willow? That you?" the girl turned revealing that they were indeed Willow.

"Oh! Hey!" she seemed rather bubbly.

"So how's life?" Buffy asked, hoping that something interesting was going on.

"Well not much, only school really, though there will be a dance soon enough, well wen I say soon enough I mean at Halloween..." Willow trailed of towards the end, seemingly caught up with somebody in the crowd, her eyes following them.

Buffy turned to see who this mystery person was, they were a guy, tall with dark hair and a nondescript crisp shirt and jeans.

"Go get him!" Buffy said, adding on "He's cute.."

Willow flushed a little "I can't really talk to boys I like, I clam up...any advice?"

"Yeah, here's my motto, seize the moment because tomorrow you might be dead!" Buffy said in a happy tone, liking that Willow had a girly side to her.

Willow nodded, a grim expression of determination on her face, "Well I'll see you later?" Willow said to Buffy.

"Sure" Buffy said, a certain person catching her eye, up on the sort of bridge higher up.

Buffy headed away from there quite soon after having headed up there.

Giles was certainly going to be one weird watcher. Coming to a club to see her. Shaking her head she tried to focus at what was at hand, Willow had wandered off with a vampire, a vampire when Buffy had actually encouraged her to go get him.

With a groan Buffy realised that they must have left the club. Which was hardly surprising, the vampire wouldn't kill her in here!

Buffy strode out of the club, passing Jesse on the way who waved at her and said he was heading home, something to do with Cordelia.

Buffy turned down one of the lanes, leading off from the Bronze, she heard people around the corner. Racing round there she pinned the first person she came across against the wall.

Uh oh.

That wasn't a vampire. They were just Cordelia.

That would spread around everyone in school by the end of tomorrow, the Queen Bee would hardly keep it quiet.

Buffy ran away from them. Stopping to listen to her surroundings around another corner. Hoping to hear some giggling or just anything!

There it was.

That muffled talking, but there were three voices not two?

Eh?

She edged to where she heard the voices coming from. Peering around just to see if her suspicions were right. Buffy didn't want another Cordelia on her hands.

They were there.

Not just Willow and vampire boy, but...Jesse?

Why was her there? Had he bumped into them or something?

Buffy headed into the alleyway, pretending she didn't really notice them, that she was on her way home or something.

They noticed her first, Jesse saying "oh hey Buffy, where you heading? Your house isn't in this direction...?"

Willow had turned too, the vampire deciding to morph into its hunting face, features changing, probably from Willow's uncovered neck.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY" Buffy yelled, pushing past both a confused Jesse and a terrified Willow who had turned to see her new friend, her neck inches away from the vampires face.

Buffy grabbed the stake out of her boot leg.

Plunging it into the vampire in one swift movement. So quickly they didn't even have time to react, exploding into dust covering Willows shoulders, messing up her woolly jumper.

Buffy turned around to see both of their expressions, Jess was the first to recover from his dumbstruck expression "What was that?"

* * *

**I won't be updating until halfway through June now as I have several exams on the way sorry, but I promise I'll update quickly after that! :)**

**I didn't think Jesse should die, I will explain more in the next chapter... Xander will have had his own experience relating to Buffy he's not been left out :P**


	11. Watcher

**Thanks for following, this chapter took longer than I wanted because of my exams, I do know where I'm going with this story, just not some parts in the middle, I know the ending and I kinda worked all higgledy piggeldy, anyway! sorry for babbling here is the chapter which took too long and probably won't be too fun! These characters belong to Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling.**

**ALSO just so so so so so so sad is this: JK Rowling said that Draco's patronus is unknown because he never learned the spell but I think it's because he has no powerful, happy memories to use.**

**JUST WHY.**

**In this story he will have to have a powerful happy memory, so he can have a patronus! **

* * *

It was the first day of lessons at Hogwarts, and personally Hermione wasn't worried about the lessons, though curious about Professor Moody. Hermione was afraid as after the feast Professor Dumbledore had pulled her aside after the feast last night, and told her that her watcher would be arriving that day, council approved.

Apparently, they would have to attempt to keep things hushed up though as the Ministry could NOT know about it.

They had to keep it from them. Let them pretend it was just a myth.

Hermione dragged a brush through her reluctant hair, making it frizz more, like it always became as soon as it was brushed. She quickly checked a fancy hand mirror one that had belonged to her grandmother when she had been young. It had a creamy tinge to it with an elegant pattern ridged on the back.

Her appearance wasn't as frazzled as she felt. Though her hair frizzy, there were only small bags under her eyes and she wasn't quite as pale as she thought she would be. Some colour in her cheeks, likely from having just woken.

Hermione quickly changed into her uniform, practically jumping into her huge shirt and baggy sweater that was at least two sizes too big, she then proceeded to slip on a black pleated skirt that came to her mid thigh, yanked on the grey knee socks and clumpy shoes, and stuffing her arms through the sleeves of her robes.

She headed down to the common room, knowing that she was later than usual but Harry and Ron would be or should be waiting for her, maybe Neville too.

Well she was hopeful they would be.

She would hate it if her being the slayer had driven a wedge between them. That they thought she had changed because of it or something along those lines.

Looking around she could only see Harry there, seemingly waiting. His hair like a birds nest, even worse than Hermione's, he had probably spent awhile pondering her fate.

He turned to Hermione giving half a smile, "He wanted to get down there, you know, it's the first time something that was a myth became real for him. Not like with us, you know..." Hermione had never though of it like that.

She'd assumed that he would be more accepting than Harry, having already heard the tales. Hermione hadn't considered it would be Harry who accepted it earlier on, then again he was right her and Harry had gone eleven years of their lives not knowing about magic and had had to accept it in less than two months before going to a school to learn more about it.

They really needed to fix the flaw in that plan.

"Oh, well, I suppose we should head down then after all I don't know about you but I'm absolutely starving!"

Hermione and Harry proceeded to walk out of the Gryffindor common room, talking about this coming year. What this tournament would be like, what these other schools would be like and why it had only just been brought back in, why it had been brought back in, especially if it had been so dangerous.

"I think it could be quite cool to see who gets picked, don't you? Personally I think Angelina would do great!"

"But Harry! Think about it, you don't know what sort of things they would have to do, people have DIED in this competition! That competition is not something to be taken lightly!"

Unknown to Hermione at that point she had passed Cedric Diggory gulping at her remark. His iron grey eyes following her retreating form subconsciously.

* * *

The current situation had never even occurred to Buffy before.

Which was fair enough.

Who honestly, well what slayer would honestly think about their new friends being hunted by vampires, on their first day at the school! Her cover blown on the first fricking day! Well done Buffy! New record there, would be disappointed if there wasn't!

UGH!

Now Buffy was going to have to explain the whole slayer deal to them, she could hardly hide it from them when they saw her slay a vampire in front of their very eyes!

Unless there was some trick Jeeves or was it Giles? Anyway if he had some kind of trick up his sleeve.

Buffy ran a hand through her flat hair letting out a sigh, just hoping with all her heart that they were off sick today. Though that seemed a little mean, it would be easier for her to then gather a story... gang related maybe?

Then Buffy heard it, what she dreaded in this hour the bell tolling, clanging hollowly signalling the end of the lesson and the start of a new lesson. It wasn't necessarily the lesson, it was more who would be in the lesson, it was I.T. with Miss Calendar, but it also had Willow, Jesse AND Xander to top it off.

She would have a LOT of explaining to do. Xander hadn't even been there so he would hear and not believe it which didn't help her situation. Buffy hoped that in some ways they would just take it and possibly leave her alone and not get in her way.

But the other part of her wanted to be friends with them and get to know them better. Buffy just wasn't sure which side she wanted to have disappointed at the end of this. If they sided with her somebody could end up dead.

Or a vampire.

Buffy shuddered, of course, she would have to tell them something, and like as not they would try and catch her out. Buffy knew Willow would at least try, and with her brains it wouldn't take long for Willow to pull out a theory close to the truth.

Buffy shouldered her handbag and trudged through the new hallways to I.T. hoping the lesson would start quickly and that they wouldn't be able to question her about it.

Miss Calendar gave her no such luck.

Today was group work. Which admittedly confused Buffy a little as they would be using computers how do you do computer work as a group? Would they have to present something?

Well, either way she had no idea as she hadn't paid attention to what she had said. Only zoning back in when she had mentioned groups.

Which group Buffy was in.

A group with Xander, Willow, Jesse, and Cordelia.

Just her luck. Buffy would have breathed a sigh of relief but Cordelia hadn't come in today. So the others had plenty of time to question her, they had cornered her and knew it, Buffy could tell with the way they high fived each other, a smug look on Willow's freckly face. Jesse looking serious for once, and Xander a hard frown on his face.

"Hi guys..." Buffy said as she sat at the square table, even with Jesse at her side Buffy felt like she was going to be interrogated. Buffy was furthest from the door and there was only a small window near the front.

Xander gestured to the seat. A question in his eyes.

Buffy knew then he obviously had some kind of idea on what was going on, his friends hadn't left him out.

This was going to be one tough hour.

Buffy spoke up again. "Look guys I know what happened must seem kind of strange and all, but I can explain?" trailing off as she noted their unbelieving expressions and the fact that they seemed distanced from the other students, like the table they were at, in the corner was so much darker, so much further away.

That nobody would notice anything amiss.

Jesse nodded his head to Xander who had turned, his chin resting on his elbow.

Obviously he had something to say.

Clearing his throat Xander spoke up. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, you seem like a nice enough person, don't get me wrong, there's just some strange things me and my friends have noticed. Or stumbled across. I always knew I was a trouble magnet...Anyway! I hope you'll get this, I heard you and Giles in the library yesterday, about the dead boy..."

Damn.

This was NOT good.

And things were likely to only get worse.

"What exactly did you hear?" Buffy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Only the part about him not becoming a vampire. But you both made it clear there is something else. You both knew what you were going on about and neither of you seemed distressed. You acted as if it was normal. We want to know why." Xander finished up staring at her, keeping eye contact.

"Well, I suppose you will also want an explanation for last night? How they're involved?" Buffy questioned.

"WELL DUH!" Jesse said, "It's not like we would just forget it!"

Willow slapped Jesses hand. "Shut up! We need to let her tell in her own time...but by the end of this lesson so she doesn't try to escape. Go on." Willow finished up indicating to Buffy.

"Urm, well you obviously can't tell anybody else what you saw were obviously vampires. What you need to know is that I hunt them. I have special strength, I was chosen to fight vampires and demons, and to be honest that's as much as I should really say and should tell you. Is that satisfactory?"

Willow analysed her.

"Can we just get a few things straight?"

"Sure."

"So you hunt vampires."

Jesse popped in. "And Demons, Will, don't forget that little nugget."

Xander obviously couldn't resist then adding at the end. "Hey! Maybe she'll get Cordelia!"

Jesse elbowed him in the chest while Willow hissed at both of them _"FOCUS!"_

Buffy looked at them oddly, startled that they hadn't fainted or gone deathly pale. They were taking it...extremely well. Especially when two of them had almost died at the hands of a vampire last night.

Maybe they could stay friends?

* * *

Hermione was just sitting there in charms, waiting is she was honest.

She had already mastered the work and was just flicking through a textbook, and giving Harry and Ron some pointers on their work and occasionally swapping scathing remarks with Pansy Parkinson.

What Hermione was really thinking about was when Dumbledore was going to come and get her.

Or Oliver.

Or maybe even Aberforth.

Merlin, she'd even be ok with one of those council weirdo's coming into the lesson and dragging her out.

Never had Hermione been this bored in a lesson. Not even in one of Mr Binn's lessons.

Finally, Hermione heard a knock on the door and instinctively knew it was for her, that she would meet her watcher! Maybe her watcher would be a teacher already at the school, depending on whether they really wanted everyone to find out.

It wasn't exactly going to be an easy fact to conceal.

Oliver with his cocky grin and messy locks popped his head around the door.

Hermione grinned, jumping up from her seat.

"Sorry, Professor Flitwick, but Dumbledore needs Hermione. She won't be back for this lesson... Come on Hermione!"

Professor Flitwick nodded gesturing for her to leave. Hermione had already mastered the spell, there was not much left for her to do with the lesson.

Hermione quickly grabbed her stuff, shoving them in her bag hastily and she scurried across the room. Shooting Harry and Ron a slight smile. They understood what she meant, her watcher was here!

Oliver grinned with her.

"I never thought I would be here for anything like this! That I would be meeting a vampire slayer. That they were a witch! That it would be you, someone who I knew and was in my very house."

Hermione laughed at his happiness.

"You won't leave me will you? I want someone who knows their stuff with me. I would be reassured." Hermione said quietly looking up at Oliver with big doe eyes, he felt like a big brother and she felt as if things would be ok if he stayed with her.

Oliver put an arm around her as they walked "No, I won't leave you." he said like she was being stupid to think he would.

They reached his office and Oliver proceeded to say the password. Some silly sweet. Liquorice dewdrops. Where did he even get these passwords? Who sold liquorice dewdrops? With a shake of her head Hermione followed Oliver's broad frame and headed into Dumbledore's office.

Where Dumbledore sat with Aberforth and some one she didn't recognise at his side.

Was that man her watcher?

Would they even get along? Because that would be vital for him training her and preparing her to battle. He couldn't dictate. Hermione wouldn't let him.

Hermione looked at him curiously, eying the man in tweed.

Quite literally actually, he was dressed in a suit of sorts, leather patches at the elbows of his tweed suit. Glasses on the crook of his nose. He smiled a slight smile. But Hermione could tell he was processing something.

They had hidden something from her.

It was something to do with the other girl, it had to be.

Hermione knew that not just from her dreams of a girl who had been unconscious, who had watched Hermione become the slayer. She had silently stood in the corners of her mind.

She wasn't dead.

"You are hiding something. Aren't you? It's to do with the other girl, the girl who was dead..."

He looked a little shocked at that.

He started talking, stuttering a little at first. "W-Well, maybe I am here, mainly because personally I feel as if I need to see you kill a vampire. I have great documents of Buffy slaying vampires at her old school. But not you, I feel as if as yours weren't official watchers or people who know of all supernatural-"

Oliver cut him off.

"Urm, Excuse me. But you were saying we didn't know of all supernatural. We are witches and wizards. We know of demons, vampires, the fates, wiccans even and many more strange things. Just because we aren't apart of a specific council doesn't mean we don't know. Personally I know rather a lot on the slayers, probably some fiction, but I was the one that brought the prophecy to Aberforth's knowledge. Without him Buffy would stay dead. The paramedics may have brought her back but they wouldn't have been able to if he hadn't been there. So don't say we don't know."

The man in tweed tried to redeem himself. "Of course. Of course, but as a part of the council I would like to see it with my own eyes as I myself watch over a slayer. I just want to see whether Buffy returning to life has dented either yours or hers powers."

Aberforth nodded slowly at this as if it made sense.

Hermione looked at them all. Slowly, to see their reactions to this man.

She looked at him in an analytical manner "What's your name the, I'm Hermione, and you are obviously acquainted with the others..."

He smiled at her properly then and replied "I am known as Giles, watcher of Buffy Summers."

"Well, Hello then Giles. What do you want me to do?"

They all smiled at that, her eagerness as it was. Oliver chuckling a little, quietly.

Dumbledore smiled fondly at her "Don't you want to know who your watcher is?"

Hermione gasped at that, having completely forgotten at a new form of mystery the very reason she was in the office in the first place.

"Of course! But, who could it be? None of you are trained but Mr Giles here... And he can't be both my watcher and Buffy's watcher, can he? Because from what I've guessed he's travelled a long way. I thought that from the way he has jetlag, and how the school looked with its surrounding in my dream with Buffy she lives in America...Am I right?"

Giles eyes lit up at her observations. Murmuring a little. "Interesting... Buffy hadn't mentioned any dreams of another girl. Or the fact that she has obviously been dead for at least a minute... otherwise how would you be here as the slayer."

Hermione looked at him thinking things through. "Hmm, what does this mean? Two slayers, like you mentioned will we be weaker. If the powers are transferred as you suggest.. Oliver? Have you come across anything?"

Oliver, having been apparently lost in thought, his dark eyebrows furrowed jumped up. His hair that was sticking out everywhere flying upwards.

"Uh? Oh, me, right. Well, obviously there has never been more than one slayer at a time. This would be a first time kind of thing. Like you being both a witch and the slayer, but as far as I can tell the strength and power isn't transferred from person to person as it were. Both you and Buffy are at your strongest. You are not weakened as far as I know unless there is an unknown element we have not considered. Maybe me, Giles and Aberforth could investigate. Then again when we saw you in battle you didn't seem as if you had weakened powers... if anything from what I've read it was quite remarkable considering you didn't even know your strength, you seemed to have more power than I expected..."

Giles looked curious at that.

"Maybe your slayer strengths have been heightened with you being a witch. Maybe they helped each other..."

At Giles statement they all leaned a little closer to her, as if expecting some in put, when in reality, though it pained Hermione to say so. They probably had more of an idea what they were on about than she did at this point in time.

Hermione needed a trip to the library.

Hermione shook her bushy head, swatting away the thoughts. She wanted, no, needed to know who her watcher was. Were they just going to turn up un expectedly? Was he somebody already here. She had already pondered that though and thought it unlikely if the council was as stiff as they were implying.

She gave a little cough, indicating her presence. "This is all very interesting but it would be of use to me to know who my watcher was. So that I could get to know them better and start my training."

Dumbledore smiled at her and turned to Giles who just gestured to Dumbledore as if saying he could present them.

Dumbledore started talking. "Of course dear, your new watcher is my...dear brother Aberforth. You already know him. Oh! And Mr Wood here will be a helping hand of sorts, he knows an awful lot on demons as such. But Aberforth is our choice as the council felt as if Mr Wood was too young, having just finished his education."

Hermione grinned at the older man, with his dark grey beard who seemed as happy as her with this out come. That he would help her and that Oliver would be alongside them as well.

"That's great I'm so excited! When will we begin training? Will we meet this other slayer?"

Oliver looked deep in thought at her suggestion and said. "You know that's actually a pretty good idea. That they meet, but I suppose it could go either way though... Would it be a good idea Buffy knew of Hermione? If she doesn't already that is..."

Giles clucked his teeth.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think the council would like to have some form of control in this situation, maybe we should leave that up to them?"

The adults exchanged a series of looks before turning to Hermione.

Aberforth was the one to speak up. "Hermione, it would be of great help if you headed back to class and me or Oliver will inform you of what's happening at dinner time, that ok with you?"

Hermione gritted her teeth. This was now her life.

She should have a say in it.

They shouldn't plan her whole life out for her, she made her own decisions, others didn't make them for her.

"You will fill me in on the whole talk."

Was all Hermione said before stalking out of the office without looking back at the occupants.

Hermione rushed into the corridor, accidently bumping into somebody. A tall somebody.

"Watch where your going." she snapped without looking up. Intending to just march past them, why shouldn't she?

"Why should I?" A deep voice replied.

"UGH!"

* * *

Draco was hidden by the alcove, he had been intent on following Granger after her strange exit from Charms. Something was obviously going on and Draco was going to find out one way or another.

But.

Now he was hidden in the alcove, with an un alert Granger accosted by Pretty boy Diggory she glared up at him, strangely for as far as Draco knew, they hardly knew eachother...

Or maybe they did.

This was definitely curious. His trip to the library would have to be put on hold, depending how interesting their conversation was.

"Hello Granger. How are you?" Diggory asked politely, though Draco could tell he was holding back a stream of questions strangely. There had to be something here, something Draco wanted- no- needed to know here.

Before this year they had hardly glanced in the others direction.

Granger replied with an annoyed sigh. "Hello Diggory. I was fine before you barged into me, now may I pass?"

Diggory furrowed his eyebrows apparently insistent that he would get his answers to the mystery.

Diggory spilled his question before petite Granger could walk two steps away from him, closer to passing Draco in his shadowy alcove.

"What were you talking about with Professor Dumbledore? Is it to do with what happened at the World Cup with those vampires? Well is it?"

Granger's usually serene face marred and she spun around marching close up to Diggory and glaring at him venomously "I already told you, it's none of your business, you get involved and I can't guarantee your safety! If you rubbed your two brain cells together and actually thought about it you might leave me alone!"

Draco frowned.

They had fought with vampires.

This changed things, narrowed down his list. After he left here, he would have to head straight to the library. Maybe grab Theo and Blaise on the way.

What Draco wanted to know was how they had fought vampires and lived. These two people, two peers, were meant to be apart of the list of the dead. Having come across vampires, Darla's lot. Possibly Darla herself they shouldn't still be standing.

So how was it they were still standing?

During their little spat other students ad situated the hall way, so they had carried on talking but walking at the same time.

Draco followed.


	12. Getting No Where

**Hey, here is the next chapter :) back from WOMAD which was absolutely fab!**

**Sorry this chapter took a-g-e-s I wasn't sure which direction things were going to take in the plot line and when to bring in the other schools or have the Harvest which will be a turning point in this story!(The Harvest not this chapter)**

* * *

Hermione, Fred, George, Lee, Harry, Ron and Ginny were all sitting in the library looking for hints as to the whereabouts of the Weasley's apparently lost cousin could be, though so far there were no clues. Nothing really that could be linked in any way.

Personally Hermione wasn't entirely sure what to look for.

Thinking about the various ideas they had taken into consideration and the different threads they had followed over the past couple of weeks a lot had been crossed of their lists. But yet they still had no answer. It was becoming increasingly frustrating.

One of the only positive things so far was the fact that looking for their cousin had distracted Fred and George from finding a way to enter the Tri Wizard tournament which would probably lead to Ron and Harry finding a way in. Either way things would not end well. Hermione felt something off about though the other schools were yet to arrive, they would later that evening.

The only other positive at the moment was that Pretty boy Diggory hadn't been able to accost her in the corridors, what with her friends constantly at her side or one of his friends distracting him unwittingly. Thank merlin for Gabriel Nightwinging and Anthony Orange. Even though Gabriel knew some knowledge, and winked every time he passed her, sometimes attempting to ruffle her hair.

Tired beyond belief, and for the first time ever sick at the sight of a book Hermione bitterly shut another tome, having found no answer yet again. Gingerly she checked the time, hoping they hadn't missed the arrival of the Beuxbaton and Durmstrang students.

"Guys..." Hermione said softly trying to be gentle but catch their attention at the same time. Fred and George were becoming increasingly frustrated with the little progress they were making with where their cousin was and if they were even still alive.

Hermione had a few tricks up her sleeve but was leaving them until things got desperate, she didn't want to get their hopes up. How would they react if they were a squib? Though the Weasley's seemed altogether like an accepting kind of family, Hermione didn't know how they were with squibs in their own families. Or the fact that they might want nothing to do with the Weasley's assuming they have their own family surrounding them. What if they were magical? They would be a year older than Hermione and might not want to enter a different world when theirs is probably just coming together.

They looked up at her, hair ruffled and eyes bleary.

"Yes Mione?" Ginny asked in a tired voice.

"It's time to head to tea, the other schools are arriving today... we will find out more about the Tri Wizard Tournament." Hermione said trying not to sound excited as they had yet again no idea as to this cousin of theirs. It didn't help they refused to tell their parents or any adult to be honest.

Fred and George shared one of their secret looks, a smile flashing momentarily on their faces.

Fred began talking, more up beat then he usually was.

"Maybe our cousin..."

George continued.

"Is in one of these schools, we go around asking..."

"And then they go 'oh yeah Rosenberg their sweet'"

"And we have our cousin!" they finished together in sing song voices, arms up in the air as if this was set and wondering why they hadn't considered it before now. Hermione was NOT going to be the one to burst their bubble. It would be too mean especially after so long and getting no where.

"Maybe, maybe" Harry said nodding his head in agreement. Knowing not to go against them in this.

Ginny looked like she was being more realistic than the boys a grim look on her face and catching Hermione's eyes once, raising her eyebrows before saying "Well, we wouldn't want to miss these other schools now would we? If our cousin is going to be there?"

The sarcastic way Ginny talked flew right over their heads.

Everyone put their books back, listing the ones they had already looked at and crossing them off, so they knew where to look at next. Soon they were all on their way to the great hall. Their stomachs rumbling in agreement for food. Having missed the usual snacks they had after lesson, not now they headed to the library almost as soon as lessons finished. Hermione having her training on top of that.

Training on the other hand. Compared to their search was going incredibly well though they were yet to say much of anything on the case of the other slayer or anything to do with her. Where she was situated.

Hermione had taken to placing a tracker on Giles. Who to the rest of the school was there on some kind of visit. Nightwinging, aka Gabey, had caught her trying to cast a tracking spell on him, which was successful. But afterwards she had been quizzed mercilessly.

_Hermione had cast her tracking spell on Giles, well to tell the truth it was more of a locating spell, all she had to do was have a world map. Though she knew he was in America. Somewhere in America that is. And that if she had a map of America it would still work. But it was in case that was a ruse of sorts. _

_Anyway._

_Hermione would say the incantation and there would be a mini Giles that pops up on the map where he specifically he is. Another way Hermione could work it was that she would say the spell and on a piece of parchment and enchanted pen would write down his exact whereabouts, say for example Wales, Cardiff, Cathays and then an address in that area. All Hermione would have to do then is convince Oliver to take her there._

_She had to meet this other slayer._

_For some reason Hermione felt like situations were all entwined. The Tri Wizard tournament, the lost cousin, the other slayer, and the vampires at the World Cup, though se was yet to figure out why her instincts were telling her that things were going to change more than they already had this year._

_Either way._

_Hermione had done what she needed to do without Giles himself noticing her. But then she heard an amused 'Ahem' from behind her. Slowly, Hermione turned, sure Dumbledore or Oliver or maybe even Aberforth had caught her. Already making her huge doe eyes as wide as possible and wracking her brains for a response but was pleasantly surprised when it was only Gabriel Nightwinging as he later introduced himself, though he was a known womaniser and had his ways of finding about absolutely everything going on in the school._

_Hermione had to admit the situation probably did seem strange. Even if he didn't know what she had been doing._

_Hermione out a finger to her lips before grabbing his hand and pulling him along to a different corridor, hoping he would take any explanation. Once they were out of sigh Hermione dropped his hand and swerved around to face him, well he was a lot taller than her so she was lokoing at his chest, she looked up at him._

_"So little granger what were you up to there? Pranking a teacher perhaps, if not a teacher than an esteemed guest of our school? What's the meaning of this?" He asked his eyes sparkling with the humour of the situation, he was obviously one for having a good time and didn't seem to mind much._

_"It was a bet we have going in Gryffindor..." Hermione said vaguely._

_"Casting a spell on the guest without him or any teacher noticing, I think I win this as I got there first unnoticed.."_

_"Yeah but I noticed you..." he said, brushing a stray lock of almond colour hair from his eyes. _

_"Are you a member of staff?" Hermione asked bluntly, an eyebrow raised delicately. Amusement bright in her soulful eyes. It wasn't long before she started giggling, and then full on laughing, a right old cackle. _

_He guffawed with her, his whole body wracking with laughter. Though it wasn't actually as funny as they were making it out to be. It was more that anyone spending time with Gabriel Nightwinging couldn't help but be easily amused._

_"I'm Gabriel Nightwinging, pleasure to make your acquaintance Granger." flirting a little by bowing in a friendly manner and kissing her knuckles like a gentleman out of an old romance novel._

_Hermione smiled at him, he was very easy going, a lot less intense than Diggory. How they got along was unknown to her._

_"How do you know who I am?" she enquired, holding back her rueful smile at his antics._

_"Everyone knows you, Princess, you and your golden trio. Brewing polyjuice potions in your second year and whatnot. Something to do with colours last year, the colour of young Potter's hair maybe?"_

_Hermione gasped, immediately gearing to fight him on the point. She knew the case well, had figured everything out. What she didn't know was how the hell he knew about Sirius. Hermione reached for her wand, ready to confound him or recover the knowledge from his brain. She could do it wandless, but it was riskier and that would arouse more suspicion._

_Looking around her Hermione decided it was best to be vague and not let much knowledge into his hands, she didn't know what he knew, he could just be fishing._

_"Well, this is intriguing, I suppose this could potentially be heading down a certain path..." Hermione started, BLACKMAIL, pulsing in her head without a pause. She was hardly going to say it though. In case it gave him more ideas than he might already have. If she stated it then she was basically signing a consent form._

_"Or you might have knowledge other know not of him regarding a rat?" Hermione was NOT going to mention names in this, she would be as vague as possible, if he couldn't interpret it then all was safe but if he knew Hermione would have to figure out how much he knew exactly. _

_He grinned crookedly, mirth still in his eyes, even in such a tense situation. Though for him it could look almost as if he was enjoying it._

_"Oh yes old P, I did feel sorry for Percy and old Ronald after that little tit bit. A little awkward you know what I mean? But I think that was literally some of the best news I had throughout the year, having siri found innocent. Even if it wasn't public it was most refreshing to find out that my brother hadn't gotten the hots for a death eater. It had quite destroyed him, but now I understand they are meeting rather regularly and just celebrated me bros 26th birthday together. I know your part in it greatly...kitten..."_

_He dodged out of her way so he didn't get a walloping. It was nice to know that Sirius had other allies. Others knowing the truth. Even if she still didn't know how._

_"What I would like to know, Nightwinging..."_

_"oh no, non of that formal shmormal, call me Gabriel!" shaking her hand merrily._

_"Okay... Gabey, call me Hermione, How do you know this I understand how you now know with your brother and all but not how the knowledge came to you. I would really like an explanation."_

_Gabriel put an arm over Hermione's shoulder as they heard the school bell toll, signalling the next set of lessons. They started to stroll down the corridor which was quickly filling up with students._

_"Well Herms, you weren't the only students in the infirmary that day, I was just waking from unconsciousness, Anthony had been swinging from the curtains surrounding the beds you see while I was entering and swung right into me, knocking me unconscious. I was waking from my stupor and heard everything word for word of what happened with Dumbledore. That is why I know the truth!"_

_Hermione nodded, ignoring his name for her, and they spent the rest of the time chatting idly, before separating off to their lessons. Though Hermione would soon be joining some of their classes._

* * *

Buffy had managed to spend a normal day at school. Hanging out with Willow, Xander and Jesse. She had been able to do this for almost a fortnight now. It was definitely refreshing and her mom commented on how they were such a good influence on her earning a groan from Buffy herself.

One thing that niggled at the back of Buffy's brain was the week long duration that Giles had disappeared, seemingly on 'Watchers' duty or whatever. That wasn't the odd part though. What made Buffy suspicious was how haunted he had been on coming back.

He had left upbeat, happy, excited even.

But came back slightly withdrawn, asking her strange questions about her previous battles and previous school.

She didn't like it. The way he looked at her as if she was a ghost, as if she was dead. Because she obviously wasn't, though it had been close to the edge for awhile. That was another thing. Buffy kept on dreaming, dreaming of a girl, the same girl who had become the slayer in Buffy's mind whilst unconscious.

But there couldn't be another slayer could there?

Buffy would have to be dead, and she most definitely was not dead.

So why did the girl keep on appearing in her dreams, battling evil (more specifically a humongous vampire well over six feet) while another boy lay bleeding, likely dead. Or training with the same man Buffy had battled alongside when Merrick died, a young man with them nearly always grinning.

But it couldn't be true.

It just couldn't.

Buffy had a pulse, her brain was functioning, limbs moving, and flesh not rotting. Buffy had repeatedly checked for a pulse and attempted conversation with her mom to make sure she was actually alive.

it had come to one thing. Buffy was going to have to find out everything that happened when she was unconscious, but first she was going to find out if this girl even existed.

The very next day, at the start of school, Buffy wandered over to Giles, curious to ask about his visit to England, she knew that had been apart of the reason for his happiness.

But he clammed up.

Said nothing, gave nothing away, except that for him to clam up, there would be a reason.

Not a big bad because he would of had to have given her some details or knowledge it existed. Nope this was to do with the mysterious girl, the girl with mad, mad hair and doe like eyes.

Talking it over with Willow Buffy repeated all she knew.

Willow checked it over, seven times before giving a theory. More of a hypothesis to be exact, well in her words, and Buffy trusted her words Willow generally knew what she was talking about and had at least the start of an idea of what to do.

"What I think Buffy is that this girl exists. But it would be more helpful if you knew the specifics of becoming the slayer. how long is the slayer dead before bestowing the power on another?"

Buffy pondered that, from what both Merrick and Giles said, no one knew precisely. But was likely to be pretty much instantaneous.

"As soon as life leaves their body, they are re-in-animated, saying who is chosen, though in my opinion that is useless as it does is say to the evil 'Look go get this person before they are any trouble!' but yeah, as soon as they die the next is activated..."

Willow nodded decisively. "okay, do you know what I think? I think maybe that you passed on for only a second or two, activating this other girl, but then the paramedics wo took you to the hospital revived you, bringing about two slayers at once."

The realisation hit Buffy like a ton of bricks.

"Uh oh."

Willow frowned then. "But surely apart from the fact you died, two slayer is better than one right? It means you have somebody who can fight at your side and can cover more ground, well different ground, together you cover more ground and kill more vampires!"

Buffy nodded blankly, still trying to grasp the fact that even if for a millisecond she had been dead, her soul detached from her body, her flesh soon to rot. Slowly bile rose up her throat and through gritted teeth she told Willow who was deep in thought, "I'll be just a minute.." before running full speed to the girls toilets and noisily throwing up.

Just when she thought her life was as together as it could be. More knowledge and more happenings were heaped on her. She wondered how the other girl was fairing, whether she too knew of another slayer, knew of Buffy.

* * *

Viktor Krum was feeling most excited. Hoping that this year, maybe, just maybe he could admired for something that included his brains, quick thinking and bravery. Not a sporting event. Obviously he didn't dislike Quidditch. It was more that after becoming a professional player it became so serious.

He needed a little air.

And Hogwarts seemed like the perfect place to forget it all. Well, not forget it, but maybe people would look past it. He dearly hoped so.

Situated at the Slytherin table was strangely frowned upon by another table Viktor noted, the ones in scarlet... Gryffindor! Yes, they seemed almost venomous about it, a specific group of people kept staring at the table, but there were plenty of people staring back at them. It mostly passed between two specific sets.

On the Slytherin side, Draco Malfoy. Who sat to the left of Viktor kept having his eyes roam over to where a curly haired witch was sitting with a big group of red heads and Harry Potter, or as his new acquaintance liked to call him 'Potty'.

The other set of people who kept staring, more like glowering was one of the younger red heads, or as Malfoy nicknamed them 'Weasel'. Viktor wasn't entirely sure of where he was located, but it had been the better of two options, it was here or next to the pug like girl and another who looked like a bull to match the 'Bul'strode part of her name. He wasn't deliberately judging them, or being prejudiced against them for that, but it was when he had heard them refer to someone as a...'mudblood' that he stood straighter had walked away stiffly and sat beside Malfoy a frown still knitting his eyebrows together in anger.

Turning away from the bizarre staring competition Viktor started a conversation with a fourth year by the name of Theodore Nott who seemed the least strange for the time being. Viktor wondered if this year at this school would be any kind of normal.

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter is mainly a filler, but in the next names will be in the goblet and Angel will appear once more, and Buffy will battle evil... :) **

**Oh and Draco will do some snooping in true Slytherin way of course.**


	13. Frogs, Sunnydale And The Wrong Parchment

**Just saying that the things that happen in the episodes will happen well in my way, but that the episode 'Teachers Pet' is basically featuring before that because there needs to be some evil on the side, and its an excuse to include Angel :) this chapter spans over three days, SORRY! Here are the days! Saturday will hardly feature!**

**(1st Buffy POV- Saturday) (****2nd Cedric POV- Sunday) (****3rd Hermione POV- Sunday) (****4th Willow POV- Monday) (****5th Viktor POV- Monday)**

* * *

Buffy was making her usual eerie pitch-dark walk to the Bronze, to meet Willow, Jesse, Xander, and possibly Owen when she was intercepted by Angel. Again. This making it the thid time, the last time at her second date with Owen, who really was a complete sweetheart!

So tall, and cute with his bookish ways. Not really the usual guy Buffy was likely to date. Their first date having been rather successful considering her slayer duties, even after Cordelia had tried to push in, her big hair do and complicated well-done make-up, a sophisticated and glamorous floaty dress on. Just generally making Buffy feel under dressed and plain in comparison.

Back to the Angel situation though.

Buffy decided the best was to be up front and blunt. This guy didn't _really_ understand any other way.

"What do you want? I already know about the Harvest which is 'fast approaching' or whatever. What now?" her eyebrows were raised and her look sceptical, arms crossed against the new shirt she had bought with Willow last week, finally managing to drag her along.

"You may be attacked."

"...I am the slayer. Or are you saying you've finally decided bad or good? That it?" this guy sure loved to confuse her. Messing with Buffy must be his favourite game. Seriously. He frowned at her then, seemingly a little miffed.

"No! I'm serious Buffy you may get attacked by a strange an old vampire, you have to be careful! You have to take precautions!" he sounded a bit frustrated, like he was trying to get something across to her. That she had to listen.

It made her shiver, the way he knew all the threats and what as going on before she did.

"Oh! Your cold, have my jacket." he shook his crackly leather jacket off his muscular arms, three long thin parallel scars decorating his arm making Buffy gasp and Angel stiffen at her noticing, his warm brown eyes searching her. She was fairly certain he had had no scar in their previous meeting...

Taking the jacket of off him and shrugging over her shoulder Buffy questioned him "Did you get the scar from that vampire? Fork hand?"

Angel glared vehemently "I already said this was serious Buffy! How many times do I have to tell you?! Be. Careful." and with hose original words of wisdom sauntered off down the lane, in only crisp red shirt and leather trousers, his hands in his pockets in his overall brooding manner.

He had definitely perfected it.

Shaking her blonde head at the confusing people in Sunnydale Buffy continued on her way to The Bronze. Even more anxious to consult with Willow and dance with Owen, and tease Jesse along with Xander about his pining after Cordelia which she could tell bothered a girl in her year... Amy? Anyway, Amy who had been giving Cordelia vicious looks and pining looks at Jesse.

Damn that boy was blind. Buffy laughed at the situation. If only Jesse could wake up and smell the vampires, the sweet girl before them was much more worth his attention than someone as shallow as _Cordelia_.

Inside the pulsing club with its multi-coloured flashing strobe lights streaming everywhere in a random routine, but working with the typical indie music of unkempt boyd bands with middle partings and plain flannel t-shirts.

She sashayed her way around the club, looking for a certain redhead, the most easily distinguished of her new friends. Awkward, gangly Willow with her hard working ethic and computer nerd style. Buffy shuddered realistically at her dress sense, but didn't truly care, but Buffy couldn't wait for the day Willow came into her own with some sort of confidence boost.

Maybe a Xander shaped confidence boost?

Buffy wasn't blind to Willows feelings and could tell Willow had fallen hard for their adorable dorky friend. Actually wait, their aDORKable friend! Buffy smirked to herself, hoping she would have some space to tell Owen that little witticism later on that evening.

It didn't take too long to spot Willow in the heaving masses of _technically_ dancing teenage bodies, they were closer than she had originally thought, only being about ten feet away compared to the furthest freaking corner away from her they could possibly be in.

It was fair to say Buffy hadn't been the happiest bunny by the time she found them. Despite only wasting ten minutes out of three or so hours (the genera time she stayed there with them, her friends, the gang, people she could call _home_).

"Hey!" willow said brightly, a goofy smile breaking out on her pale freckled filled face, her long ginger hair swaying like curtains in the wind. Jesse popped up behind her, Xander deep in discussion with Owen, scowling at something he said. Whatever it was. It didn't take much for Owen to rub Xander up the wrong way. His attraction to girls generally pissing him off.

Jesse asked in a bubbly voice indicating he hadn't yet pestered Cordelia "What took you so long Summers?"

Almost at the same time Owen asked accusingly "Hey, that isn't your jacket is it?" giving her a chaste 'hello' kiss despite his sudden suspicious mood. Eyes darting. Willow looked at the jacket critically, soon clicking the puzzle pieces into place. Her eyes lighting approvingly.

"No, it's not mine, but I don't see the problem. You know Angel, tutoring me in History? It's his, I bumped into him on the way here and he wanted to talk about work so getting here took a little longer than expected. Sorry guys!" she held her hands up in a 'I surrender' way, her face appearing in a guilty expression, Owen soon softening and slinging a long arm over her shoulders, still covered by Angel's soft and smooth comfortable leather jacket which smelt strongly of him in ways she couldn't explain.

Owen soon relented and gave her a warm hug, asking about her day at school (they didn't share that many lessons), and what they could do on the weekend, if they were definitely meeting up then that was.

They swayed gently to the music as Buffy mulled over the words of warning Angel had given her, his straight un-marred face strained with apparent worry, especially in his puppy dog eyes.

Looking over her shoulder Buffy twisted to see Jesse set off on his daily mission to amuse Cordelia which failed miserably, like a crashing rocket every single time he approached her.

Now Owen was a different matter. Cordelia had the audacity to flirt with him, whilst Buffy was still there, trying so on her first date with him. Causing Buffy to seethe with bottled up anger. What right had she?

Realising Buffy had tightened her grip somewhat more than as per normal she attempted to relax, thinking of cute little animals...cats...bunny's...frogs, and there she was. Buffy had found her momentary happiness.

Just think frogs Buffy, keep calm and don't let her get to you.

* * *

Cedric woke up to his friends pestering him. It was a Sunday, just over a week since they had left the cup there for anybody to dare and place their names within its golden rim. So far many people had tried, Lee Jordan and Roger Davies had placed their names in it, the twins had tried... and failed when their trick rebounded and they turned into bickering identical old men, pulling at each others long Dumbledore like beards.

Cedric, Heidi and Miranda had decided...together in the_ loosest_ of terms plausible that the last day, with each of their friendship groups there would be the best time to place their elegantly scrawled names on fresh parchment into the cup. Meaning they would only have to wait a day at the most to find out if they were chosen.

If either.

Then again they did have the whole back up plan, duelling. With a gulp Cedric tried to block the image of Miranda's nasty duelling habits. Her cheating for instance, that would blandly be taken for cheating but with certain stupid loopholes were acceptable.

He would likely be in for a trip to the infirmary, which was as rare a happenstance for him as common as it was for the Golden Trio with their escapades near every year. Which was really saying something with his Quidditch playing which landed many a pupil in the infirmary at least once a year throughout their time at Hogwarts.

He pulled on the still lightly singed muggle clothing he had worn to the Quidditch World Cup, because it remembered the bravery he had witnessed in Granger and his own bravery, the cute loyal badger protecting him in his eyes.

Well, and Granger's obviously strange skill at killing vampires. Which he still had to investigate. He also had to warn her about Jr Malfoy and his snooping. Oh! Not to forget the delightful NEWT exams he would suffer from at the end of the year... unless he was chosen as Tri Wizard contestant.

But come on! What were the chances of that!

Still shaking his head at his internal rambling Cedric headed down to the common room to hopefully catch his friends and get a good breakfast before his day took its down ward spiral which was bound to happen with Miranda and Heidi involved.

Anthony made a confused face his mouth an 'o' much reminding Cedric of a goldfish, "What's with the clothing mate?" he questioned in his soft welsh accent, not because he was prejudiced just because he was really un-experienced when it came to interactions with muggles and their general world.

Cedric shook his head when a certain memory caught his notice, the time a muggleborn friend of theirs had taken them to an actual football match, the muggle version of Quidditch they had said and Anthony had been in shock at no moving photos and their system for money. Giving the slick haired shop owner two crisp £50 notes when he had been buying a brightly coloured sweet smelling bar of Cadbury's chocolate...

"It makes me feel brave." Cedric said back in reality, his voice hushed, not attempting to elaborate namely because of Granger's weird insistence on it being kept quiet. Which was strange if thought about, she had fought _vampires_ and _won. _She hadn't died, had saved them both, and he had loyally tried to take on the biggest vampire to give her time, to let her have those extra moments of life.

But she had saved him. Saved them both. Humiliating him in a way, where he had just passed out she had whirred on and by the time they had both woken up they had been in Aberforth's house, left in curiosity.

Anthony just nodded, not one to question Cedric's odd habits and sayings. His peculiar choices and reasoning's behind them. Just bobbing his head up and down like that of a fan at their favourite bands concert.

After waiting ten minutes without the arrival of Gabriel and Scott the duo decided they had best set off without him, only to find him whispering sweet nothings into the ears of a chubby, blushing fifth year Ravenclaw girl... Tara Hopkins?

"Scoooooooott, jeez why do you always keep your girlfriends hidden? Well, from us I mean. You know we won't tease you, though we will ask this poor sucker how in the name of merlin she has _you_ as a boyfriend!" Gabriel chortled, having snuck up on the then quartet of students, slinging his arms over both Anthony and Cedric, his eyes gleaming seemingly with amusement. But Cedric had known his best friend since the age of six and could see the hurt which lay behind the act.

Gabriel was known for not staying with any particular person for very long. Boy or girl. Most of the more stiff, up-tight purebloods stuck their noses up at him and asked him how could he dishonour his great relations by consorting with a boy.

Gabriel had only laughed in their faces, more specifically Miranda's, telling her that he was "A free wheeling bisexual.", that was the conversation which had led to their big break-up. Her attitude and behaviour towards Gabriel, he hadn't exactly come out as such and none of their friendship group pushed him. He would take his time and Cedric and the rest of their group would support him thoroughly with each decision he made, if they knew he would be happy with the outcome. It didn't really matter anyway though as he didn't try to hide it.

Scott said his quiet goodbyes to the younger girl and they then continued to trundle down to where the cup was being kept. Hoping that Miranda and her lackeys would show up on time. Hopefully after Cedric and his mates so that he could dodge the comments of chickening out like he did with bludgers in Quidditch.

* * *

Hermione was looking at the piece of parchment which had listed three different names of places on it. From the three different times she had muttered the incantation. All in America and looking at the map of America he was heading to a small place called Sunnydale, but she had to be 112% sure first.

She wasn't going to mess this up, Hermione was absolutely determined on this front like she had been with her work that everything would be correct and she could et Oliver to apparate her to the very spot, well somewhere near.

She was hardly going to apparate before him. Who knew where he could be or who he was with. That was another part of her clever little spell. Once you knew the location you could tap the parchment with the elegant scribble on and see the exact place. Though in that there would be no people milling about compared to reality.

It was some of the neatest work she had pulled off yet! It just had to get her to that pesky 120% in her end of year exam. She could not just be 17% ahead of Draco Malfoy! If everybody found out she would be a laughing stock. He would have a field day, "More to mock Granger with!" He would say in his gleeful childish sneer, his thin lips curling snidely, eyebrows knitted together.

The thing was though that however much she said the incantation just then was that nothing came up, well not nothing, but there would be an elegant scribble saying 'Nowhere known to this magic.' What in the name of Merlin did that mean?

Was he dead?

Had he somehow dismantled her spell... except he wasn't a wizard, though that still didn't rule it out, he might know a witch or wizard. But there was still the question of how they knew about the spell.

Unless, she thought, filling to the brim with dread and despair Gabriel Nightwinging had told somebody. It was a likely scenario he was rather the chatterbox. One little conversation not even that, a sentence and the situation had fallen on itself. Slipping on a banana peel like on some cheap garish comedy show, the presenter with an orange face and scarily slicked hair.

Hermione knew there was only one way to discover the truth about her little hypothesis, to find Gabriel Nightwinging, standing up in a furious manner Hermione was about to march out of the hall when she noticed him joking about with his sixth year mates seemingly teasing one particularly serious one with pale green eyes and shaggy dirty blonde hair, his almond locks rocking about.

Hermione straightened her outfit, a huge knitted jumper and some skinny jeans Ginny had forced her into saying "You have great legs! Why hide them?!" Hermione had rolled her eyes at the younger girl, but conceded and put them on when Parvati and Lavender had also begged her.

It was only a pair of jeans Hermione had thought sullenly, putting them on because it wasn't really a big deal.

She called out when she saw him get close enough, nodding her head to him when they glanced in her direction, motioning to come see her. At first Hermione saw Diggory's iron grey eyes widen dramatically, his handsome face morphing into something scared and then smug.

Hermione threw him a sharp look before pointing directly at Gabriel who looked at her curiously before walking sluggishly in her direction. Missing the disappointed and confused look Diggory was gazing at them with.

"What is it shortcake?" his midnight blue eyes confused.

Hermione practically growled "Don't call me that!" she added a little stomp without realising, humouring him.

Gabriel chuckled, ruffling her head full of wild curly hair patronisingly, using his whole body to express his amusement.

"Okie dokie, Herms, what is it?"

Hermione almost whispered her voice was so quiet but she couldn't whisper into the tall Hufflepuff, she couldn't reach his pointy ears with her height "Did you tell anyone about our encounter, what I was doing at the time?"

Gabriel shook his pretty head at her, not really following where she going with her little interrogation "Nope. Why would I princess? Any reason?"

Hermione re-analysed the situation, with all guns pointing towards Sunnydale. She had another question, which if he knew the answer too would speed up the entire course of action and not only for her particular problem.

It would explain other problems as well.

"Gabey, are there any places in the world which have magical reception problems? You know like not being able to pick up magical auras or long distance spells not working there?" her tone was blatant but a little vague, still processing everything in her mind.

His face lit up "Yes there is, in fact I only know this because of a little underage magic I performed while there. Nobody picked up on it and I wasn't taken to court. At the time I was fourteen you see, definitely too young but me and my family were in a place in America, Sunnydale, and after the incident I was completely paranoid I couldn't do wandless magic at that point so it wasn't that and it wasn't accidental it was one particular spell. But that isn't important, what's important is that the reason you can't perform proper magic or locate anything there from this kind of distance is because Sunnydale is on the Hell mouth. The magical aura from that masks any other there, therefore masking my underage magic."

Hermione jumped up and down, squealing a little. "Two birds with one stone! Thank you Gabriel!" She jumped up and hugged him, giving him a chaste thank you kiss on his smooth cheek.

He hugged her back before asking "What is this all about?" completely and utterly lost at her happiness and squealing.

She smirked at him, barely containing her excitement "You'll find out soon enough if you are right!" before bounding off in the hopes of finding Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasley's. Hermione just had to tell them about this new development, repeating what Gabriel had uttered over and over in her head. Leaving Gabriel standing there a tad shocked, Diggory looking at him with confused daggers.

When had their friendship blossomed? They hadn't even met in his knowledge.

Hermione knew why the spell was faulty.

She knew where the Weasley's cousin could be found, and she knew where the other slayer would be!

Everything had fallen into place. The puzzle absolutely divine with its answer, only fate could be so cruel and so kind in one blow, giving many problems but sweeping them away in one swift, graceful movement.

* * *

Willow woke up tiredly rubbing at the prickly sleep irritating the corners of her eye lids, with her bony fingers and their short stubby nails. Blinking once, twice, and a third time before yawning noisily, annoyed that dawn had broken her peaceful slumber.

She sat in her bed, thinking about the day to come, and how Xander was still completely OBSESSED with Buffy, continually hating on poor innocent Owen. Though as Willow thought about with a frown he was quite quick to jump the bullet, specifically about the whole Angel ordeal.

Which Buffy had already told Willow would amount to absolutely nothing, namely because of the life and death relationship. The only times she ever saw him was when he thought that she was in danger, warning her to tread with caution as trouble followed.

Which was in his own way actually quite sweet with his brooding and moody demeanour. Not really stringing two sentences together for the rest of the gang. Only Buffy, Jesse liked to call him 'O silent one', he hadn't laughed.

Or even cracked a small smile.

Which happened with pretty much everyone Jesse joked around with, even if it wasn't particularly funny they would roll their eyes and smile at his attempt at humour. He could seem quite innocent and was treated with less disdain than Xander usually was with girls.

Most simply raising their eyebrows at him if they had to sit beside him in class.

Edging a little away from him.

Bless.

Willow sleepily dressed for school, practically slumping out of her messy bed, a dull expression on her half-awake face, her hair knotted around her oval face. She tugged a mostly broken brush through it impatiently, wanting to arrive earlier to talk to Mr Giles about more books before the day of torture assumed again. Pulling on her baggy dungarees and a loose t-shirt with cutesy cartoons emblazoned on its baby blue front.

She basically snoozed through breakfast and zoned out while packing her bag.

Only really waking up when she heard the familiar sound of her school bus pulling away, without her on the bus. Leaving her, deserting her. Marooning her at her own empty house. Nobody inside. Well nobody just meaning her mother wasn't there. Willow only had her mother, her father having left whilst she was a new-born her mother said in a bitter tone, lines heavy on her face.

It took just under an hour for Willow to reach school, arriving during the middle of Biology, generally with Mr Brunner... except where dear old Mr Brunner usually stood, stuttering something out about Biology there was a curvaceous young-ish woman with wide bug like eyes and a brown haired bob, wearing a professional red blazer and skirt.

Something about her confused Willow, like there was something not quite right about her, pursing her lips at the end of the lesson where every single boy in the class thrust their and into the air when she asked, a completely innocent look on her face if anyone would help her out after school, at her house.

Willow turned to see Buffy raise her eyebrows as Owen too put his hand in the air the teacher smirking before conjuring a list of sorts of the order they would help in, Xander glaring at Toby when he was picked for the day before him.

They bickered immaturely after the bell rang, all the way to the dinner hall, Buffy and Willow sighing, walking ahead with Jesse who bumbled. Not really caring about the teacher "Too old for me." he had said with a shrug, "And more specifically not my type."

Buffy and Willow snickered when they heard Toby mutter in the background in between bickering "But Cordelia is?" incredulously.

* * *

Viktor was bubbling with excitement, he was almost boiling over, like that of an old whistling kettle when done. They were going to find out the Tri-Wizard Tournament contestants!

He seriously wanted to squeal, but that was on the inside, on the outside he was cool and collected, keeping polite conversation with Theodore Nott. His earlier assumption of sanity appearing correct with their continual discussions throughout the last week.

It was when they were half way through their conversation about transfiguring into live animals that the Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore, cleared his throat and said in a loud and commanding voice "Quiet! The cup will announce the Tri-Wizard Tournament contestants."

Soon it started to crackle, flames roaring high in a glowing emerald colour, so bright it made his eyes water lightly. Wiping the water away Viktor kept his eyes on the cup waiting for the cup to exude the parchment which would hold the first contestants name.

They waited impatiently and were soon rewarded with the first name, Beuxbatons student Fleur Delacour who sashayed up to the front of the school, clapping in her wake, almost every boy there still enraptured by her beauty.

Viktor clapped along with everyone mechanically still waiting to hear more, aching to hear his name as many had predicted during the last week. But that wasn't based on his magical ability, that was to do with his success in Quidditch, which was well earned but not the only thing that defined him.

Next was the Hogwarts champion a startled Cedric Diggory with wide grey eyes. Who stumbled up to the stage the rest of his school whooping him on, mostly drowning out a furious cry from a pretty dark haired girl towards the end of the 'Hufflepuff' table.

Viktor almost smiled on the outside, but just about held back. Not wanting to let on how excited he really was, not wanting to give people at the manipulative table the satisfaction and the smirks which would follow.

So he kept his straight faced expression as his dark eyes stayed fixated on the front of the hall, the long bearded wizard still standing in his shabby robes waiting for the Durmstrang contestant to be chosen.

It felt like he hadn't blinked in millennia when the golden cup roared its flames once more, another name erupting our of its rim, containing a singed piece of parchment which would reveal his own schools contestant.

"Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore boomed, everyone clapping him wildly as he trekked to the stage, head held high beaky nose straight in the air, as he passed absolutely everybody else in the hall.

Just as he got to the stage an a wizened old man was going to go into further detail the cup seethed, flaring and dying down, and flaring again in various shades of green before coughing up another slip of parchment, a golden brown colour, a messy scrawl on it.

Dumbledore gazed down at it his beady eyes glimmering strangely before booming at the then deafeningly silent hall "Harry Potter!"

* * *

**And there you go! the reason why Willow wasn't sent a Hogwarts letter. the magical aura around the hell mouth was so strong and so great it over powered any other magical aura within its perimeter. Also the reason why Hermione's spell stopped working at a certain point Giles had returned to Sunnydale!**


End file.
